Put Away the Harley, Your Tutor's Here
by AlliPaige
Summary: Sonny moves to California, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous. Rated M for suggestive themes and language.
1. Promo

_"Are you going to miss it, honey?" Ms. Munroe asked softly, smiling a small smile of comfort._

_Sonny just nodded quietly, not taking her eyes away from the walls of the Wisconsin apartment that she would never see again._

**When Sonny Munroe moves to California, she doesn't expect much.**

_Sonny looked around and saw palm trees gracing every other corner, tall and sleek buildings, and what appeared to be a warm breeze blowing softly every now and then._

**A new house.**

_A single, simple but fairly large white house sat in the middle, surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Pink flowery bushed encircled the circular driveway that wound in a loop in front of the home._

**A new school.**

_A couple of eyes followed her as she walked slowly, books in arm, towards the doors. She tried to make sure she came off as friendly, but for some reason she had an odd desire to please her peers._

**New people.**

_There was one thing she immediately noticed: this was nothing like Wisconsin. Sure, there were cliques, but nothing like this. They were all here. Bad boys, cheerleaders, football players, nerds, theater lovers, gangsters, drunks, the girls who didn't care who touched them where, the shy ones, the bossy ones, the skaters, the surfers, all of them._

**But one thing she did not expect…**

_But suddenly, her viewing session was interrupted by loud rumblings. She glanced to the sky, but it was as blue as possible and there wasn't a cloud in sight._

… **was hard-core California bikers.**

_She watched, astounded, as they roughly parked their bikes and slowly pulled off their helmets, shocking her. They weren't old, rough bikers; they were _kids_._

**When Sonny gets involved with a seemingly harmless tutoring program…**

"_Excuse me?" Sonny asked the secretary as she stepped into the small office. "Hi, um, I was just wondering if their were any clubs for educational betterment for the school?"_

"_There is a tutoring program for students who need help with their grades. What is your GPA?"_

"_Four-point-O," she said immediately, smiling._

"_Sign up if you'd like."_

… **she is warned of a possible outcome.**

_What?" she asked, her voice slightly exasperated. What could her mother find wrong with being a responsible tutor?_

_"Nothing," she said quickly. "But, sweetie, you need to realize that this isn't Wisconsin."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"In some cases, it will be like Wisconsin and the people in the tutoring program will be people who just need help understanding a subject or two," Ms. Munroe began. "But… Sonny, a lot of them will be… ones that have trouble in school because they are trouble."_

**But Sonny, being Sonny, couldn't decline this opportunity to help others.**

_"I'm sure I can handle it."_

_"I have no doubt about that." She didn't sound completely truthful. "But you are used to associating with sweet, honor rolling people like yourself. Not everyone is like that, sweetie. Especially if you get stuck with a guy. Be careful. Always make sure you two aren't alone with no one around, because -"_

_"Mom!"_

_"You can never be too careful!"_

_"Oh my God, Mom!"_

**But fate is not on Sonny Munroe's side…**

_A large, gleaming, black and chrome motorcycle was there in front of her, it's noise only getting louder the closer she walked. This is what her mother had warned her about._

**And her tutoree isn't exactly kind-hearted.**

_"Look, we are just going to get something straight. On Wednesdays, I'm gonna go off with my friends, ride my bike, do whatever I want to do. You are going to tell people that you are tutoring me, whoever asks. I didn't sign up for this. So, you got it?"_

_She cleared her throat weakly, staring at the ground._

_"What makes you think I'll do that?" she asked, surprisingly finding her voice. "I am supposed to be h-helping you with your courses. I c-can't just lie -"_

_"You will if I tell you to," he cut her off, his hand moving to a grip on her wrist. "I'm not doing this tutoring crap." _

**When things take a turn for the worst…**

"_You need to get out more. Have fun." Sonny's eyes widened as his proximity dwindled to about 2 inches, causing her to back against the lockers in an attempt to get away. "We could have some fun…"_

**Can Sonny pull through all of this new town drama?**

_"You're innocent, Sonny. You're new. You're attractive. You're clean and obviously untouched by any other guy. He sees you as the total opposite of him; unobtainable. That's why he's so attracted. He wants to be able to say, 'look at what I did! I fooled around with Sonny Munroe!'. It almost gives him an all new level of… 'badness'."_

_Sonny was drowned by a wave of fear once more. "F-fooled around with?"_

_"He has more on his mind than just taking you out," Rachel spared a hesitant glance toward her best friend._

**Is this bad boy maybe not **_**all**_** bad?**

_"Let me go, please!" She was starting to fear him again, knowing that she was making him frustrated._

_"Sonny, I can't get across to you how dangerous it is for you to go talk to them!" he hissed, trying to be more quiet when he heard the talking die down a bit._

_"Why -?" Suddenly, it hit her and she understood. Her heart stopped for a moment, then pounded. Her voice was gone for a moment. "A-are… are those your f-friends down there, Ch-Chad?"_

_"Yeah," he answered quietly. _

**Or is all hope lost?**

"_And keep in mind what I said," Rachel said quietly, almost like she was afraid if she spoke loud enough they'd show up. "He's the nicest out of that group. So never ever go near his friends, Sonny. Chad is a dangerous, crazed, temperamental dog only bound to a wall by a thin rope. His friends are rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth dogs running around free and you don't have a gun."_

**In the newest Channy story, there will be drama, anger, romance, comedy, heartbreak. Tune into ****ChAnNyObSeSsEd**** and ****alexatheknight****'s newest work, "**_**Put Away The Harley, Your Tutor's Here**_**".**


	2. Hello, California

**Disclaimer: I do not own SWAC. Anyone wanna give it to me for Christmas? No? Okay, blah. Be that way.**

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Chad is different in this story, I just want everyone to know now so everyone won't be like, "He is OOC!". Hope you enjoy! Review and let me know if we should continue or if we are wasting our time. Thanks everyone! Have a good Christmas!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Hello, California**

The beams of sunshine shone through the small window of an tiny two-bedroom apartment, accompanied by the sweet chirps of the Grasshopper Sparrows on an outside tree. It crept through the blinds of the smallest room, slowly stretching over the bed and to the headboard. Suddenly, a loud blaring interrupted the quiet ideal tranquility. A loud groan accompanied it, and it was soon shut off by an irritated hand.

"Oh, no, you don't," came the voice of an excited woman, coming into the room. "You are not sleeping in today out of _all_ days! Rise and shine!" The woman's shoulder-length dark, straight hair had a bounce to it as she skipped across the small bedroom, throwing back the sheets of bed. An irritated, almost sad, groan met her exclamations. "No, ma'am; _up_! C'mon, it's Moving Day!"

"No," came the short reply from the teenager curled up in the bed.

"Alright, but I'll leave without you," the mother crooned, walking to the door and taking hold of the knob. "If we are going to be in California by tomorrow, we need to leave soon. Sonny Munroe, I want to see you up, dressed, clean, and ready to go by 9:30!" The door closed loudly, making Sonny bolt up in bed, her brown-blonde hair sticking in every direction.

She pouted, her bottom lip protruding as she slowly climbed out of bed. It was the day. The day that she moved from her small Wisconsin town to the 'glamorous' town in California. Leaving in three hours, she would get a short road trip, a night at an inexpensive motel, and another day of driving. Goodbye to the Great Lakes. Goodbye to the cold weather. Goodbye to all of her friends. Goodbye, Wisconsin.

She slugged to the bathroom, her normally chipper and orderly personality not yet in kick. She was still halfway asleep in her mind, picking up a blue brush on the counter and running it through her hair, not completely satisfied with the way it was looking. Deciding she would have to curl it like usual, she plugged in her curling iron and applied her makeup. She looked over her reflection, sighing. This was the last time she would be looking in this mirror.

She glanced around her bathroom, taking in the memories. She could see through the doorway where she had scrubbed on the wall so hard twelve years ago to get the crayon off that she had drawn. She could see where there was a light stain on the carpet where her and her friends had decided six years ago to experiment with dropping candies in sodas. Sonny stroked the counter subconsciously, slowly walking back to her room to go change.

She picked out a white skirt that went three inches above her knee, a multicolored purple top, and a quarter-inch sleeved dark denim jacket. She took out a pair of purple heels, still not sure why she was always so attracted to shoes with heels, but nevertheless, wanted to wear them. Looking her reflection over, she nodded in approval to the way the skirt and top hugged her curves, and glad that she had picked this outfit for the day. _The_ day.

She brushed her teeth hurriedly and put the last of her small belongings that weren't in the moving van already into their small Prius. Sonny walked right past her mother, who was waiting in the living room, and into her bedroom. She looked around slowly, her eyes glistening. The memories of her childhood for the past seventeen years echoed through the walls and in her heart. She sat softly on the edge of her bed, wiping a tear that had managed to spill from her eye. She was just staring at the wall, not even taking notice when her mother leaned up against the doorframe.

"Are you going to miss it, honey?" she asked softly, smiling a small smile of comfort. She just nodded quietly, not taking her eyes away from the walls. She took in every flaw, every crack, every fiber of the carpet, every fiber of her childhood.

"I'll miss it, too," Ms. Munroe sighed, trying to keep herself from thinking about it too much also. She took a seat by her daughter, careful not to disturb her closure. She wrapped her arms around Sonny and she leaned into her mother, a few more tears escaping. "I know moving is hard. But think of all the pluses! You can have a completely new start, an opportunity to completely reinvent yourself."

"But I don't _want_ to reinvent myself," Sonny whispered. "I want to be me. I want to be me _here_."

"I know, sweetie, I know," Ms. Munroe shut her eyes tightly, rocking the seventeen year-old back and forth in her arms. "But just think about the _beach_. _The beach_, Sonny! You know you love the beach!"

"I know _you_ love the beach," Sonny laughed loudly, pulling away from her mother, smiling half-heartedly.

"Yes, I do," her mother winked. "But so do _you_. And the weather will be nice and warm. And you know we don't have that much around here. And we can go bathing suit shopping, and you can bring some of the thousands of new friends that I _know_ you're going to make. How does that sound?"

"Well, I _do_ like shopping," Sonny shrugged, peering up at her mother jokingly.

"That's the spirit!" she patted her back and hugged her tightly again. "Now, c'mon. The moving truck is waiting outside."

"Alright," she sighed sadly, about to follow her mother out of the door.

"Wait, make sure you have everything!" she reminded her daughter, paranoid. Ms. Munroe went outside and waited for Sonny so she could lock the door and give the key to the landlord. Sonny searched the two bedrooms, living room, small kitchenette, the bathroom, and found nothing except the tube of her favorite lip gloss. She was about to reach for the doorknob of the front door, but stopped herself. She turned around, took a good last look at where she grew up, and smiled.

"Bye," she whispered.

She turned and left out of the Wisconsin apartment forever.

* * *

_Make a U-turn_, the GPS's monotone voice repeated for the umpteenth time, earning a groan from both Sonny and Ms. Munroe. _Make a U-turn, then turn right._

"THANK YOU!" Ms. Munroe said loudly, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

_Make a U-turn._

"SHUT UP!"

"Mom, calm down," Sonny tried to sooth, "if you're having trouble with it, just turn it off."

"I can't!" she cried. "I don't have a map! This is the only way we'll get to the motel by 7:00!"

"Mom, you know I could just access a map on my iPhone, right?" Sonny smiled, holding up her phone with a smirk.

"Oh. I guess that'd work."

_Make a U-turn_.

"OH MY GOSH!" It was Sonny this time. She quickly reached up and switched it off. She pulled out the phone and quickly logged on to the internet. She accessed road maps and her mother relentlessly thanked her. They ignored the odd flickering the GPS screen kept doing every now and then, making up funny stories about it being haunted for entertainment.

_**5 HOURS LATER**_

"Sonny? Sonny, sweetie, wake up. We're at the motel."

Sonny's eyes fluttered open, her immediately taking notice of her aching back as she sat up straighter in her seat. The sun had disappeared and been replaced with a dark, starry sky; although it was hard to see them with all of the street lights and tall buildings. As her mother drove around looking for a parking spot, the light slid and danced across the inside of the car, making Sonny want desperately to go back to sleep. She hadn't been very sunny that day, which was out of the ordinary for her. The heavy weight of moving halfway across the country had weighed down on her chipper spirit.

Ms. Munroe parked and they quickly went inside and checked in, Sonny only half-awake to realize that she was even walking. They slid their room key card into the door slot, and Sonny instantly collapsed on the bed and left the unloading baggage to her mother.

* * *

The next day, Sonny was instantly bouncing when her internal clock woke her up. She always loved sleeping in motel beds. They were always so comfortable and soft. Her mother, on the other hand, was a walking zombie when Sonny woke her up. They had obviously switched roles. Sonny was ready in her yellow and purple dress with black heels and black jacket. Her hair was wavy and her smile radiant. When Sonny Munroe sulks, she doesn't sulk for long. She was just a naturally giddy person. It was unnatural for her.

They pulled out onto the highway, soon followed by the moving truck.

_**5 HOURS LATER**_

Sonny paused the music in her iPod when she noticed the car was slowing down. She looked around and saw palm trees gracing every other corner, tall and sleek buildings, and what appeared to be a warm breeze blowing softly every now and then.

"I'm going to get gas," Ms. Munroe told her, pulling to a stop and stepping out. Sonny rolled down the window and stuck her hand out to feel the breeze. It was warm and felt fantastic. Maybe this move wouldn't be too bad after all. Before she knew it, her mother was sticking her head back in the car to tell her that she was going inside to buy a thing or two.

"Alright," Sonny answered. She watched her mother's retreating figure and glanced around, taking care to study her new home as she listened to music. But suddenly, her viewing session was interrupted by loud rumblings. She glanced to the sky, but it was as blue as possible and there wasn't a cloud in sight. But it soon became apparent.

Four motorcycles screeched into the gas station's driveway, making her pause her music and watch them with astounded eyes. She'd never seen hard-core bikers before. They didn't have anything like that in Middleton. She watched as they roughly parked their bikes and slowly pulled off their helmets, shocking her. They weren't hard-core bikers, they were _kids_. Not kids exactly, but teenagers that looked about her age. Except for one that looked older than the rest, maybe in his mid-twenties.

One was a scrawny red-head but he had a dangerous look about him. His arms were covered in tattoos, and she watched as he popped a cigarette into his mouth. She sure did hope he was doing that legally! And even if he was of legal age, smoking was harmful and a bad choice. When he reached up to run a hand through his hair, she noticed that he was missing a finger on his left hand.

Another was the mid-twenties man who had dark hair and a rugged beard. He was obviously leading the group, his stature and bike outshining the others. He popped a cigarette in his mouth, and Sonny knew that there was no help for him. His leather jacket had metal spikes on the shoulders, which none of the others had. He muttered something to the others and walked into the store, and Sonny instantly muttered a small prayer for her mother's safety.

The third was an extremely muscular black boy, who had an odd baby face, but his muscles distracted from that. He had a tattoo of a skull on his arm, it's mouth appearing to open and close as his elbow moved up and down. Sonny shuttered. That was just creepy. She was starting to miss Wisconsin again. A completely skull-tattooed-biker-free place.

The fourth boy was certainly her age, that much she could tell. He was tall and thin, but still well-built shoulders and torso. He was the only one with a long-sleeved leather jacket on out of all of them, leaning up against his bike and laughing at something the red-head had said. He had dirty blonde hair, flipping out on the ends and a surprisingly nice smile. Unlike the other two, his teeth were white and perfectly straight. The guy's eyes were also a shocking blue, she noticed, when the sun hit them just right. He obviously didn't smoke, although the look of him was still not inviting. He was… good-looking she supposed, but he was obviously Bad Boy through and through. Not okay.

She heard a loud chuckle, and the red-head was pointing to a small dog digging through a nearby trashcan. They whistled to it, and Sonny was actually beginning to smile when the dog trotted obediently to the group, it's tail wagging hopefully. She was about to clap for the bikers, but then what happened next ran her blood cold.

The red-head _kicked it_.

A wave of sadness overtook Sonny and she watched with horror as the dog backed away whimpering with it's ears back, looking even dirtier and more broken-spirited. Sonny watched with horror as all three of them surrounded it, and she heard more disturbing sounds that brought tears to her eyes.

That's _it_.

She wasn't just going to sit there and let these three _jerks_ carry out _animal abuse_! She had to do something about this. Before she knew it, she was opening the car door, slamming it shut, and stomping over to the group. Her heels clacked loudly on the concrete, causing the three to turn around as she got closer. They instantly turned away from the dog to face her with big, devious smiles on their faces. Sonny was too disgusting to be scared as they wolf-whistled when she approached.

"Hey, babe," the red-head winked, putting his hands in his pockets coolly. Sonny was on the verge of puking. "Can I, uh, do anything for you?" That pushed her over the head.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" she scolded angrily, shocking all three of them for a moment. They looked back and forth between each other and looked back to her, a scarier look in their eyes. She didn't let it shake her for more than a moment. "You can't just _kick_ and _hit_ a defenseless little puppy! You do this for FUN? You three are _sick_."

"Oh, she be a _feisty_ one," the big baby-faced one growled, winking at her. She shook it off.

"You should be _ashamed of yourselves_," Sonny yelled, picking up the dog and scratching behind it's ears. It stopped struggling after it realized she meant no harm. "If you have to take out your horrible, fallen apart lives on a poor little dog, then it shows how hopeless, immature, and _idiotic_ you are."

They stopped eying her suggestively and began to look angry, but she didn't care that much. She wasn't going to just stand there and watch three jerks kick a dog for fun. They deserve to be stood up to and set straight.

The red-head began to take slow steps towards her, causing her to step back slowly. "Did… _you_… just call us…? Oh, sweetheart, I'd shut that pretty little mouth of yours if I were you." His voice was a low, raspy growl. Sonny's heart skipped a beat.

"Look, babe," the boy her age came close to her, causing her to tense up. She was really starting to wish she had remembered to bring the pepper spray with her. He placed a hand on her lower arm, making her wince and shiver. He noticed and smirked, the smug look appearing to be familiar to him, "you're obviously new around here." He was eying her again, it taking all of her willpower not to slap him. "We'll pretend that you didn't say that since you're new, but we don't get talked to like that. Especially by…" he seemed to stop himself before he continued, since it was obvious every second that she was shrinking back into the happy, innocent Sonny she usually was. "…Just _don't_."

"Sonny?" came a hesitant voice from behind her. She looked over her shoulder, wincing, to see her mother staring, shocked, at the group. At seeing the dog in Sonny's arms, she looked even more confused.

"Run back to Mommy," the red-head smirked, earning chuckles from the other two. Sonny, not knowing what else to do, turned with a dignified huff and walked to her worried mother with her head held high.

"What in the world -?"

"I'll explain it later."

"Are we taking the dog?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then."

* * *

**Review!**


	3. Home Sweet Home

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Here is Sonny's new home! Pay attention, some of these places will be important.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Home Sweet Home**

"So, you _got out of the car_ and went up to three potentially dangerous California bikers? And you left the car unlocked and wide open?" Ms. Munroe replayed the events that her daughter had told her in shock. "What were you thinking? Sonny, you are a smart girl. Why in the world would you think it would be okay to go _up_ to them?"

"They were kicking Lucky, Mom!"

"Oh, you named the dog, now?"

"Yeah!"

"Don't name it, it makes you get attached."

"Can we keep him, Mom? _Please_? He's homeless and is obviously abused and is eating out of _trashcans_. _Trashcans_, Mom," Sonny begged, sticking out her bottom lip and peering up through her lashes. She held the little grey dog up by her face, the dog imitating her expression as if it realized the importance of this, too.

"I'll think about it," she said, almost so quickly that she was hard to understand, "but that doesn't excuse the fact of what you _did_. You can't do that, Sonny! Do you understand that?"

"Yeah, yeah, Mom, won't happen again," she said dismissively. "Can I keep him? Lucky said he'll be good!" She smiled persuasively.

"Oh, he talks now?"

"Yeah…"

"Fine. But it's _your_ responsibility to potty-train him and take care of him. The minute you start neglecting your responsibilities -"

"Yeah, yeah, got it, Mom. I love you! Thanks!"

Sonny was about to continue rambling when her mother stopped her short. She turned her head to her daughter slowly, smiling gently. "Sonny, say hello to our new home."

Her daughter obeyed, not expecting much but a small bungalow or cabin. What she saw made her voice hitch in her throat. She sighed, a huge face-eating smile overtaking her face.

A long, straight, beautiful driveway greeted them, lined by trees on each side. They were all beautiful and a lush green, perfectly trimmed and exactly the same size. The wind made them rustle and the sun shone brightly through the cracks between the leaves. The grass was a bright green and healthy, stretching out for long distances behind the trees on each side. A beautiful white picket fence separated the grass and trees, making it orderly but still natural. They drove down the driveway slowly, both taking in where they would now live.

"How many acres is this, Mom?" Sonny had to know, in awe.

"Uh… I want to say about, uh, twenty."

"Wow, really?" Sonny grinned, clapping her hands together in her lap. She had always wanted to live somewhere with lots of land and places to explore. They drove further, the lines of trees disappearing and revealing old-looking trees winding out of the ground and green grass. One tree particularly caught Sonny's attention. It was larger than all of the others, the bark a dark brown and flawlessly rough. But what sat atop the green leaves was what made her heart thump for joy.

A simple, box-shaped tree house sat in the middle of up-winding branches, the limbs twisting around it like a giant hand. A small rope ladder led up to it. Sonny smiled when she saw there was a purposefully cut hole in the roof, for stargazing or to stare at the clouds. She couldn't wait to go inside… if her mother wasn't paranoid about it falling through. Sonny could already predict that she would spend many afternoons and nights inside of it.

They continued to drive forward, Sonny's excitement growing with every moment. More trees, but not planted in a perfectly straight line, surrounded them on each side again, becoming a little darker and more thick. But out of the blue, they cut off and a huge stretch of land opened up. A single, simple but fairly large white house sat in the middle, surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Pink flowery bushes encircled the circular driveway that wound in a loop in front of the home.

The car came to a gentle stop, Sonny instantly jumping out to take in the beautiful sight. The loud rumbling the moving truck behind them almost startled her, her new home making her forget the world for a moment.

"C'mon, Sonny," her mother beckoned her, motioning for her to come inside with her. Sonny was only too happy to abide.

The moment they entered, Sonny didn't even wait for her mother. She started running around to look at all of the new rooms. The dining room was a light green, the table dark and shining with a oval shape. A large chandelier hung from the elaborate ceiling and centered the antique furniture against the walls. She moved on.

The living room was small, but beautiful. The walls were a light crème and the couch and loveseat were very Victorian-looking. The floor was a shining dark wood. A maybe 30-inch flat screen was on a small table, looking almost out of place with all of the old furniture. Sonny went to the next room.

An average-sized kitchen was what she encountered next. The walls were a bright yellow, with classic brown cabinets and marble countertop. Over the silver sink was a large window, the top portion stained glass. The floor was clean white tile. There was a small table not far from the door, probably for quick meals or food preparation. These were all of main rooms downstairs, excluding the small bathroom and entryway. Sonny decided to go upstairs and survey.

The stairway was a dark wood and the steps were small, showing that they were probably the original in the house. She met a long hallway with white and green-striped wallpaper, making it look even longer. There were four doors lining the walls, two on each side. On peering in, Sonny found that one was a fairly large bathroom, complete with a tub and shower. She shut the door quietly and walked across the hall to the next door. Opening it, she found instantly that this must be her new room; it wasn't large, it wasn't small. The floor was a dark, shining wood like most of the home. It had a double bed with posts, a large window on the right of it, and a mirror with a pretty stool. The light fixture was like a mini chandelier, making her feel fancy.

After trying out the bed, she went across the hall and peeked inside; it was her mother's bedroom. A large queen-sized bed with a red bedspread and a net over it made her sigh. It was magical. The large window on the opposite side from her was the biggest window she had seen yet, large, heavy-looking beige curtains shaping it. Sonny also noticed a small bathroom to her left that had obviously been added recently and a 40-inch TV. Sighing with jealousy, she closed the door and continued.

At the very last door, Sonny was interested to see what this room could be. Maybe a guest bedroom? But when she turned the knob, it stopped short and the door wouldn't budge. She thought maybe there was something wrong with the doorknob, so she checked to see if it shook. It was in perfect working order. Her brows furrowed and she tried again, rattling the door. Then she tried putting all of her weight against it. Still nothing. This puzzled her. Why would their be a locked room beside her bedroom? Especially when you buy a new house, aren't all of the doors supposed to be unlocked? What puzzled her even more was that there was no key hole.

She cautiously stepped down the stairs, careful to not ensure her own death in these shoes. She found her mother in the living room, directing the movers.

"Hey, Mom?" Sonny began.

"Yeah?" Ms. Munroe asked, not taking her eyes off of the movers.

"Is there supposed to be a locked room?"

"Locked room?" She still wasn't looking at Sonny.

"Yeah. There's a room upstairs beside my room that's locked. No key hole or anything."

"Hmm. Well I'm sure it's just the attic or something. Nothing to worry about."

Sonny could tell that that was all she was getting out of her mother at this point. Settling on it was the attic, she asked if she could help with anything. Her mother shook her head and mumbled something that sounded like 'too far to the left'. Sonny shook her head and told her mother she was going outside to look around. Ms. Munroe nodded, probably not listening to a word she was saying.

She went out of the front door and picked a flower from one of the many bushes. She smelled it and placed it in her hair, smiling from ear to ear. She walked around the driveway and into the grass, hoping she remembered where that big tree was with the tree house. It wasn't hard to miss as it turned out, and she soon found that it would be impossible to get up the ladder in her shoes, so she threw them off and placed them beside the rope, climbing up and happy that it was stable. Sonny tested the wood with her foot gingerly to make sure it was sturdy before she put all of her weight on it. It appeared to be fine. Sonny stepped inside gently, not hearing a single creak or break. She bent and laid down on her back, underneath the hole in the roof. She sighed and looked up with pleasure, watching the white clouds that had recently appeared. They moved slowly, twisting in forms that left her imagination wandering. She took a moment to glance around, noticing it was noticeably plain. Just wood walls. Not painted or anything. Not personalized in any way. But she almost liked it. It was relaxing and let her mind wonder about the people who lived here before she did. It was simplistic.

After lying down in the tree house for maybe an hour or so, almost falling asleep, she made herself get up so her mother wouldn't go looking for her. Sonny descended down the rope and slipped her shoes back on. She ran to the house in a hurry, hoping against hope that her mom wouldn't be worried about why she had been gone for so long. Luck was on her side that day.

"Have fun?" Ms. Munroe asked.

"Yeah," Sonny smiled. "There's a tree house in this really old tree not too far away from the house. It's got a hole in the ceiling so you can see the clouds and stars and stuff. It's so pretty!"

"That was dangerous, Sonny," her mom said instantly. "That wood could have given out and you could have fallen through!"

"I didn't just waltz in, Mom," she rolled her eyes with a laugh. "I was careful. It's fine."

"Okay," Ms. Munroe sighed, turning back to the food she was working on. "Aren't you glad this house came furnished? Took a lot of the time and labor out of moving, don't you think?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised we needed a truck for all of our little stuff."

"Well, all of our pictures are hung everywhere and we are officially moved in. Do you like the house?"

Sonny grinned dreamily. "I love it." She asked a question she had been wondering for a while. "How old is this place, Mom?"

"How old…" she contemplated, cutting up the chicken she was preparing. "How old… I want to say about 130."

"Really?" her eyes widened.

"Uh huh," her mother smiled. "Cool, isn't it? I'm shocked the price was as low as it was. But a lot of it was that my new job will be paying a lot more." She couldn't help but grin a little greedily and Sonny laughed.

"Maybe this move won't be so bad, after all," Sonny said, hugging her mother. Ms. Munroe hugged back.

"When you start school on Monday, I know you will make so many friends. Sonny, you are such a great girl all-around. Don't be nervous, alright?"

"Okay, I'll try," Sonny shrugged. Her heart pounded at the thought of what awaited her on the beginning of that fateful day. "Tell me when dinner is ready."

"Will do."

Sonny sat down on the couch in the living room, turning on the television and surfing the channels. She leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes. This was where she would live for the rest of her high school life. She had better get used to it.

Little did she know that there was a couple of more surprises coming her way that she would have to get used to, also.

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**Feedback, please!**


	4. Signing a Deal with the Devil

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: In your reviews, tell me anything you would like to see happen in the story. Anything at all. There is a GOOD chance it might be put in!**

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**Chapter 3: Signing a Deal with the Devil**

"… Honey, are you going to get out?"

"Yeah," Sonny answered.

Silence.

"When?"

"Soon."

Silence.

"You're going to be late."

"No, I'm not."

Silence.

"Sonny, _go_!"

Her daughter jumped at her sharp tone. "Alright, Mom, gosh!"

She had been sitting in the passenger seat of the Prius, watching all of the students passing by attentively. A couple of people acted like they never saw it, others glanced at it and looked away, and some were watching it curiously and waiting to see who got out. There was a short brick fence circling out from the entrance on either side, serving as a meeting place and seats for students. Sonny sighed and looked down at her outfit: a black and white polka dot top with a dark blue button-up sweater that was open, complimented by a white skirt that went a couple of inches above her knees with black high heels. She glanced out of the window at what girls were wearing. Some were wearing skinny jeans and Converse, others were wearing stilettos and short skirts. Hers was in between, she supposed. Surely acceptable in the public eye.

After yet another annoyed look from her mother who needed to get to work, Sonny sighed and opened the door, her eyes darting around to see who was watching. Only some were, most people minding their own business. She put her foot on the ground, soon standing to her full height and closing the door behind her. Her mother sped away quickly, not even giving Sonny a chance to wave goodbye. She pouted for a moment before turning around to face the crowd of students outside and her new high school.

There was one thing she immediately noticed: this was nothing like Wisconsin. Sure, there were the cliques like cheerleaders, nerds, football jocks, etc. But never like this. There weren't so many Goths, there weren't so many Druggies, there weren't hardly any bikers. But they were all here. Bad boys, cheerleaders, football players, nerds, theater lovers, gangsters, drunks, the girls who didn't care who touched them where, the shy ones, the bossy ones, the skaters, the surfers, _all of them_. She had no idea where she would fit into all of this chaos.

A couple of eyes followed her as she walked slowly, books in arm, towards the doors. She tried to make sure she came off as friendly, but for some reason she had an odd desire to please her peers. It was human nature of course, but back in her hometown, she was just herself and people either loved her or hated her for it, and she was okay with that. But here, she already felt the pressure for people to approve of her. But with all of the different social groups, she knew that wouldn't be possible. Nevertheless, she held her head high and tried to ignore the curious eyes and murmurs.

Throughout the day, Sonny realized that the actual _school_ part of school wasn't that foreign after all. There were the fun teachers, the strict teachers, the teachers that just didn't care, and the teachers that just loved to hear the groaning of students when they assigned homework; just like back home. Her fellow students, however, were so different that she could barely comprehend. They acknowledged she was new, but unlike back home, none of them took a particular interest in trying to be her friend. In Wisconsin everyone wanted to know everything about you, they would talk to you, then you would just subconsciously fall into the clique you were meant to be in.

Well, people didn't _completely_ ignore her. Guys tried to make their moves.

And she gently declined.

She was still adjusting. It was just her first day. She needed time to… _settle_. And none of them appeared to be her type. None of them seemed very nice; just the stereotypical teenage guy who only seemed interested in looks. She had curves, and that's all they saw. No personality or the person she was. Just interested in getting the gain and nothing else. She hadn't really expected anything different, to be honest.

What really made her sad was the lack of desire to learn in the student body. There were the students that _wanted_ to learn, like her, but not many of them. Most were only doodling in notebooks or… other things. She could have sworn she saw some white powder being exchanged between to guys in the back, but she was honestly just too scared to say anything. Sonny Munroe doesn't get involved in those kind of things. She's tried to prevent herself from meddling. She has always had a problem with that.

At the very last period of the day, Sonny didn't pay much attention herself to class. She ignored a few of the looks being sent her way and thought about what she could do to make this a better place. Everyone could get more excited in the academic area of things if maybe there was some kind of program to better the school. That's what she'd do! She'd sign up for a club to help the school. That's what she'd do directly after school!

The bell rung, and after walking quickly past a set of boys who had been glancing at her the entire class period, she headed to the office. Sonny sighed as she listened to the silence of the hallway next to the offices and it made the clack of her heels seem loud. Just as she was about to open the door, it flew towards her face, making her fall back and nearly stumble.

She was about to unnecessarily apologize to the person who had almost opened the door in her face, but the air of the person who stepped out made her suddenly shy. A tall, slim, but sturdy guy with blonde hair wearing dark colors collided with her, almost making her drop her books. She glanced up, and immediately decided not to say a word to him. His face was cloudy, angry, set; and somewhat familiar. He was clearly not in the mood. The guy didn't even glance at her or bother to say sorry, he just kept walking, almost stomping, with fists clenched. She gulped and looked after him, more determined now more than ever to help the student body.

"Excuse me?" Sonny asked the secretary as she stepped into the small office. "Hi, um, I was just wondering if there were any clubs for educational betterment for the school?"

The woman glanced at her, surprised, and almost as if she were crazy. "Let me guess, you are new?"

"Yes…"

"That explains it," she laughed, putting down her pen and peering over her glasses. "The day there will be a club for 'educational betterment' is going to be after I'm buried under this ground."

Sonny's brow raised as her spirit broke. So much for that idea.

"_But_," she woman mentioned significantly, "the closest thing I can give you to that is a _program_." Sonny's head rose. "There is a tutoring program for students that need help with their grades. What is your GPA?"

"A four-point-O," she said immediately, smiling.

"Sign up if you'd like," the secretary grinned, placing a sheet in front of her on the counter. Sonny couldn't grab a pen and sign up fast enough. "They are meeting tomorrow in room D6, right beside what should be your English room," she said, turning back to her computer.

"Thank you!" Sonny thanked, turning and walking back out of the office with a face-eating smile on her face. She skipped to the door and thought, _Maybe this year won't be completely horrible!_

She bounded to the car, hopping in and ignoring her mother's shocked facial expression at her behavior.

"So, how was your first day of school?" she asked a little weakly.

"It's great now," she cheered. "C'mon, I want to get home and see Lucky."

"Okay…" her mother cleared her throat. She shifted the car in drive and slowly pulled out of the school's campus. "So, what has you so cheery? More than usual, I mean."

"It's just my first day and I am already certain that I am going to make the school a better place," Sonny smiled dreamily, sighing a clasping her hands together.

"Really?" her mother asked, not sure why she was surprised. "What are you going to do? Volunteer for office hours? Help out teachers after school?"

"Nope," Sonny shook her head, still grinning, "I signed up to tutor people who need help academically. In the long run, I bet I'll raise my person's GPA by a lot, and maybe even their SAT scores!"

"Good for you, honey," Ms. Munroe said half-heartedly, and Sonny noticed.

"What?" she asked, her voice slightly exasperated. What could her mother find wrong with being a responsible tutor?

"Nothing," she said quickly. "But, sweetie, you need to realize that this isn't Wisconsin."

"What do you mean?"

"In some cases, it _will_ be like Wisconsin and the people in the tutoring program will be people who just need help understanding a subject or two," Ms. Munroe began. "But… Sonny, _a lot_ of them will be… ones that have trouble in school because they _are_ trouble."

Sonny's smile faltered and her brows creased. "Mom, you are making California sound like it's a jailhouse."

"No, you know that's not what I mean," she rolled her eyes. "But I've heard some stories from ladies at work today. A lot of people at the school with problems _are_ problems, dear."

"I'm sure I can handle it."

"I have no doubt about that." She didn't sound completely truthful. "But you are used to associating with sweet, honor rolling people like yourself. Not everyone is like that, sweetie. Especially if you get stuck with a guy. Be _careful_. Always make sure you two aren't alone with no one around, because -"

"_Mom_!"

"You can never be too careful!"

"Oh my God, Mom!"

"I'm just thinking about your -"

"_BE QUIET_, please. Mom, stop."

"Sorry."

"You'll get me paranoid."

"Sorry."

Sonny sighed and rolled her eyes, cupping her chin in her hand and staring out the window at the passing palm trees and large buildings.

"So… did you make any friends today?"

"… Um, yeah," Sonny stuttered, trying not to sound antisocial.

"Well? What were they like?"

"She was really nice," Sonny began to fabricate the girl in her mind. "We didn't talk much, but um… she did help me find some of my classes. She had short brown hair and lots of freckles."

"What was her name?"

"R-Rachel."

"Oh! You should invite her over sometime."

"We didn't talk _that _much, Mom."

"Did you sit with anyone at lunch?"

"Yeah."

"… And?"

"R-Rachel."

"I thought you two didn't talk much?"

"We didn't! We, uh, just sat together at lunch. And she helped me find my classes. That's it."

"Well you should keep talking to her. She seems sweet. I bet you two could be great friends. I'd love to meet her."

"Yeah. Sure, Mom."

Sonny bit her lip and looked worriedly out of the window. She hated lying to her mother, and she was never really any good at it, but she supposed that she was so determined to make her happy that her voice didn't go up a couple of octaves. Sonny's main goal in life was to make others happy, and at many times it made her forget herself. Here she was, on her first day, already trying to make the school a better place for academics and lying to her mother to make her perhaps adjust to California even better.

Eventually the car pulled into the starting-to-be-familiar line of trees, and Sonny began to daydream and think about what her mother had said. What if she was right? What if the person she got put with _was_ a trouble-maker, a danger? Someone who didn't want to learn? What if they took advantage of her sweet personality and eager-to-please disposition and blew her off? Unless it came down to the wire, she was not confrontational and at many times found it difficult to stand up to people. What was she to do?

And she most definitely did not want to go to high school and not have any friends. She needed to try and be a little more social tomorrow. She knew she had it in her; heck, she was the most talkative person in her grade back in Wisconsin. Sonny was determined to let out her inner jabber box and try to make an, _at least_, acquaintance the next day.

They pulled into the round driveway and the car was parked, and Sonny was quick to scoop Lucky into her arms and set off to the tree house. Not even bothering to slip off her high heels, she held a protesting dog in her arms as she climbed the rope. She reached the top and released her puppy, trudging to the spot where the late afternoon sunlight poured in and lying down. Lucky barked and whined, not liking being in such an unfamiliar place and so high up, but Sonny called him over to her and soothed him, letting him lay down on top of her outstretched arm. She sighed deeply and ran a hand through her brownish-blonde hair. She thought about everything that had happened that day and her odd desire to please her new peers. She was usually so independent and not particularly concerned with what other people thought. Sonny didn't know why she suddenly cared. Perhaps it just came along with the insecurity of living in a new place. She wasn't sure.

Sonny gazed at the slowly moving clouds, smiling as the warm sun hit her arms, legs, and face. Lucky seemed to enjoy it too, turning on his back with his tongue hanging out, making Sonny laugh. There were pluses with California, sure, but nothing would ever replace home in her heart, that she was positive of. She lied there for hours, thinking about things and humming, watching as the clouds turned to stars, twinkling and winking at her. She was careful to make sure she didn't fall into a slumber, her mother most likely to turn hysterical if she didn't come inside for a while.

She awoke the sleeping Lucky, carrying him as she carefully backed down the ladder. Running as fast as she could in her shoes across the healthy, soft grass, Sonny rushed to the house, putting down Lucky along the way and letting him run by her side. She shoved open the door and let her puppy in with her, breathing heavily. Her mother looked up, alarmed.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly. Sonny answered through breaths.

"Just trying to get inside before it got too dark, relax, Mom," she laughed slightly, taking a seat at the small kitchen table. "What's for dinner?"

"Not sure, maybe some _California_ rolls?" she joked, turning to her daughter and sticking out her tongue. Sonny laughed and nodded. She rose from her seat and walked over the counter.

"Here, I'll help you," she smiled, taking the knife from her mother's hands. She got some veggies out of the fridge and began to cut them up. They worked on dinner together, laughing and listening as they told each other about their day. Well, Sonny listened as _her mother_ talked about her day. She tried not to say much.

The next day would be different, she could feel it.

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**Give ideas for the story, and I'll do the best to include them before the story is over!**


	5. Different Breeds in California

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

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**Chapter 4: Different Breeds in California**

Sonny awoke the next morning tired, but chipper. She pulled on a red skirt, matching red top, black heels, and a black pullover sweater with a couple of buttons lining the top. She looked in the mirror and was happy with the way she looked, her hair wavy and her eyes shining. She skipped down the stairs (well, as much as she could in her shoes, anyway) and grabbed a Pop Tart and hopped in the car with her sleepy and distraught mother.

"Have fun at school," Ms. Munroe yawned when they arrived, slowly pulling away when Sonny stepped out. While walking towards the school doors, she noticed that she was receiving more stares than the day before. Word had probably gotten around the school that there was a new girl, and who knew what they were saying about her. She walked by a couple making out behind the edge of lockers, wrinkling her nose as she walked down the hallway a few more steps and opening her locker to retrieve her books. She ran her hand through her hair and sighed, looking forward to the end of the day when she would get to help someone become a better student.

Her first four periods went by quickly, making her happy. She couldn't wait until lunch. That was when Sonny would be able to pull out her inner Talker. The natural world knew that she had it inside of her; there was no way that it shouldn't come out soon. It was lunch time, and she was determined to sit with someone that looked welcoming and make a new friend. Sonny Munroe was a person who _always_ made friends, who always had someone to talk to and help. She didn't do the whole 'being alone' thing. It didn't feel right.

"Can I have potatoes with chicken, please?" Sonny asked politely, holding out her tray for the lunch lady to fill. The large woman just looked at her, scooped a spoonful of each (how she got a spoonful of _chicken_, she'd never know) and plopped them on her plate. Sonny kept a persevering smile on her face as she stared at the gush, looking back up at the woman who was looking at her, as if daring her to disagree with it. Sonny kept smiling until she turned around to where the woman couldn't see her, her smile fading immediately as she looked for a table that looked welcoming. As in, a table with _people_. Her eyes scanned the cafeteria, trying to judge whether or not sitting here or there would be a good idea.

Table of people (guys or girls) wearing tons of make up and black. Nope. They wouldn't like her much.

Table of pretty girls in bright red cheerleading outfits. She watched to see how they looked at the table of girls beside them who were _not_ wearing cheer uniforms: daggers. No, most of them looked mean. Next.

A lot of guys wearing baggy clothes and laughing loudly, beside them girls wearing flashy and revealing clothes were at another table. No, she was _not_ the pimp-type. Not to stereotype anyone, but… next table!

Rowdy class clowns.

Rambunctious football players.

Emos.

WHERE?

She was starting to look a little strange just standing there staring at everyone, so she quickly sat down at the table nearest her. Self-conscious, she looked around to make sure no one was really staring at her. Jealously, Sonny watched the table of cheerleaders laughing loudly at something one of the football players had come over to tell them. Suddenly, she heard a throat clear.

"Oh, hi!" she said quickly to the girl sitting across from her, whom she hadn't even noticed. She looked around to make sure that she didn't miss anyone else. She hadn't. In fact, they were the only ones at the table. "Do you, um, mind if I sit with you?"

"_You_ want to sit with… me?" the girl repeated incredulously, pointing from Sonny to herself.

"Um, yeah," Sonny laughed, smiling her 100-watt smile. The girl seemed momentarily dumbfounded. She tucked her short brown hair behind her ear.

"Okay," she said skeptically, looking back down to her food and taking a bite of her sandwich.

"What?" Sonny asked.

"You just… you're that new girl, right?" her new tablemate asked, her brows raising.

"I guess," Sonny shrugged.

"Are you or aren't you?"

"I am," she said, a little shocked at the girls straight-forwardness.

"You just seemed more like the cheerleading type. Why aren't you sitting over there with them?" the girl asked, assertive.

Sonny gaped for a moment. "I… just… don't think I'd fit in over there."

The mystery girl's eyes searched hers for a moment, as if scrutinizing for truth, then lessened. Sonny let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as the odd feeling went away.

"Okay," the freckled girl shrugged her shoulders, taking another bite of her food.

Sonny reminded herself before she became shy again that she was here to _make friends_. Well, _a_ friend. She instantly struck up conversation.

"So, uh, I'm Sonny!" she said a little loudly, making the girl jump and Sonny blush embarrassedly. The girl glared at her for a moment before mumbling.

"Rachel," she muttered. The girl's annoyance seemed to radiate, making Sonny frown and unhappy. Suddenly, Sonny froze, biting her lip. Her mind seemed to momentarily switch to another time.

"_So… did you make any friends today?"_

"… _Um, yeah."_

"_Well? What were they like?"_

"_She was really nice. We didn't talk much, but um… she did help me find some of my classes. She had short brown hair and lots of freckles."_

"_What was her name?"_

"_R-Rachel."_

"What are you laughing at?" the girl demanded, snapping Sonny back to the present. She shook her head.

"Nothing," Sonny said feebly, snorting to herself.

"You think my name is funny?" Rachel's brows raised as she leaned forward, making Sonny stopped immediately.

"No, no, no, no," she said quickly. What was she doing? She was supposed to be making friends, not enemies.

This was not going well.

"What then?"

"It's nothing, I am so sorry if I upset you in any way, I just want to make friends here and -"

"You're a pansy."

"- I am not trying to… Wait, excuse me?"

"You're a pansy," she repeated as-a-matter-of-factly. "A flower. A, for the lack of a better term, _wimp_."

Sonny's mouth was open and her brows were creased, her mouth forming incoherent words but no sound coming out. What… was going on? She barely knew this girl and she was calling her names?

"See?" she continued, chewing her sandwich casually. "Right about now is supposed to be the part when you stand up for yourself instead of sitting there looking like a retarded fish with your mouth open." Sonny pouted, offended. "Think I'm mean?" Rachel almost laughed. Sonny could barely nod before she kept talking. "No, no, not compared to some other people here. I'm actually doing you a favor." Sonny almost opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted again. "You need to toughen up if you are going to survive here without being eaten alive. You're lucky I told you."

"Is this why people don't sit with you? Because you are so rude?" Sonny crossed her arms. The girl looked at her for a moment, as if she was about to retaliate, but stopped herself with a smile.

"There we go. That's what I'm talkin' about."

Sonny looked utterly confused, so Rachel cleared things up for her with a roll of the eyes.

"We just bonded in some weird form or fashion, so you know," she said nonchalantly, making Sonny laugh, not completely getting it. This was going to be a weird friendship, she could just tell.

* * *

"So… are you doing anything after school?" Rachel asked her when the final bell sounded, standing beside Sonny at her locker.

"Yeah," Sonny nodded, giddy with excitement, making her new friend watch her quizzically. "I signed up to help tutor people in that tutoring program they just got! I'm so excited! I get to help the school on my second day!"

Rachel groaned loudly, shocking Sonny. Well, to be truthful, she was starting to get used to an outspoken, lazy friend. "You are one of those academic freaks? Oh, I should have known."

"I'm not a freak," Sonny said defensively, "I just love to help society! Is there something wrong with that?"

"Nerd," Rachel coughed into her hand. Sonny gaped.

"For your information, I am going to get an extra credit for this if I do it for a certain amount of time!" she lied, her voice going an octave higher.

"What did your voice just do?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"It just did it again."

"No, it didn't!"

"It did it _again_! Ha ha, is that what happens when you lie? Oh, that's hilarious!" she chortled, laughing a laugh that was loud.

"If you _must_ know," she muttered, "yes, that's what I do when I lie. I can't help it."

"Well, I know that you will always be truthful," she smiled. "If you're not, I'll know."

"Shut up," Sonny laughed. "I've got to go. Guess I'll see you later?"

"Why not," Rachel responded, turning to leave. But she soon turned back to Sonny. "Be careful in there."

"… Seriously?" Sonny asked, eyes wide. Maybe her mom _did_ know what she was talking about.

"Yeah," she nodded, face completely solemn. "Some people in there need help with school, some people in there need help with _life choices _and everything else." With that, she walked out of the door. Sonny sighed, uttering a quick prayer before walking to the room known as D6, that maybe didn't seem as cheery as before.

"Hi, are you a Miss Sonny Munroe?" the man at the desk asked, eager. She looked around the empty room, confused.

"Uh, yes, sir," she nodded, looking around again. "Where is everyone? Weren't we all supposed to meet here? Am I in the right room?"

"Yes, ma'am, you are," he nodded, his voice restrained. The man seemed as if he was withholding something. "We, uh, actually had to cancel meeting in here… or technically meeting at all. One of the, uh, _athletic clubs_ had to meet suddenly and the, um, board said that they could have this room. So…" he grabbed a sheet of paper and handed it to her "… this is your person, and he is supposedly waiting outside. Sorry about the mix up."

"It's fine," Sonny managed to say before bolting out of the door. He? So it was a guy, huh? She couldn't wait to meet the person she would be helping to improve their life - at least inside of school. This was what she had been looking forward to all day long, and she could only hope that this person having trouble in school _wasn't_ trouble. Sonny skipped down the hallway, towards the school's entrance, ready to be of service. But a loud roaring made her stop in her tracks.

_Where have a heard that before?_ Sonny wondered, placing a hand on the clean glass of the door and slowly pushing it open. She peered around the door and to the stretch of road beside the sidewalk and saw the source of the noise. She gulped.

A large, gleaming, black and chrome motorcycle was there in front of her, it's noise only getting louder the closer she walked. Every fabric of Sonny's being told her to back away slowly before she was spotted, but for some unknown reason her legs propelled her towards the bike and it's rider. This was what her mother had warned her about; _this_ exact kind of thing. Most of the kids who have trouble _are_ trouble, and she couldn't believe that she had been naïve enough to hope for anything more.

The person sitting _atop_ the bike was who she knew she would have to face, and so far it was not encouraging. The boy (if you could call him that) was tall, slender, but still sturdy. He was coolly chewing what she could only hope was gum, clad in a long-sleeve black leather jacket. His large, dark sunglasses covered his eyes and added to the reasons why she wanted to immediately back into the school. He sighed heavily, impatiently, while scratching his blonde hair. He revved the engine loudly, making it roar and Sonny flinch, clearly ready to leave and sparking his temper. Yet another reason for her to retreat. But she couldn't.

For some, horrible, unfair reason, her legs wouldn't let her leave. Stupid responsibility.

To Sonny's dismay, he finally realized that someone was approaching. At hearing footsteps, he turned his head and looked peeved, but when he caught sight of Sonny, his smile made her heart thump. And not in the good way. She could almost feel his eyes rake her body behind those shades, making her terribly uncomfortable and a little frightened. She stopped a _quite_ reasonable distance from him and the motorcycle, smiling hesitantly.

"Um, h-hi," she managed to stutter out, her knees unstable. She didn't talk to people like this. They were dangerous. This whole situation was dangerous! Was there even anyone around? What if…? No, she can't think that way.

"Hi," he repeated mockingly, smirking. Wait, that smirk looked familiar. Sonny tried to place it, but to no avail. He was still chewing his gum, smiling in a way that made her suddenly worried that she shouldn't have worn a skirt today.

"I-I'm Sonny. I'm your… uh, tutor," she stuttered out, a shaking hand reaching up and tucking hair behind her ear.

"_Sonny_?" he repeated, clarifying, his brows raising behind his sunglasses. "Nice name."

"T-thanks." She wished she would stop stuttering.

"So, _you_ are my tutor?" He sounded a little too happy for Sonny's liking. "I was expecting someone a little less… well, I think we'll get along fine." The comment was followed by more perverted smiling. She pursed her lips.

But then he did something. He cut off his bike and reached to his face, slowly removing his shades. When the dark lenses were pulled away from his eyes, Sonny's nerves went into overdrive again. A pair of shockingly bright, glowing blue eyes met hers. Yet another wave of frustration swept through her. Those eyes… _where_ had she seen them? That smirk, too. When he noticed that she was staring, a flash of devilish glee was in his blue orbs.

Suddenly, she remembered.

"_Look, babe," the boy her age came close to her, causing her to tense up. She was really starting to wish she had remembered to bring the pepper spray with her. He placed a hand on her lower arm, making her wince and shiver. He noticed and smirked, the smug look appearing to be familiar to him, "you're obviously new around here." He was eying her again, it taking all of her willpower not to slap him. "We'll pretend that you didn't say that since you're new, but we don't get talked to like that. Especially by…" he seemed to stop himself before he continued, since it was obvious every second that she was shrinking back into the happy, innocent Sonny she usually was. "…Just don't."_

She could almost hear the sound of her yelping Lucky.

Suddenly, to the guy's confusion, Sonny backed even further away from him, looking angry and even more frightened than before, staring at him with hatred. Her finger was pointed at him as she screamed.

"Dog-kicker!"

At first he seemed absolutely clueless, but then it seemed as if he was looking at _her_ face for the first time, and his perverted smile faded away and his brows knitted and he looked even more dangerous than before. He scowled, pointing also.

"Crazy chick!"

Sonny's anger faded as he continued to stare at her with that scary look in his eyes. She didn't have much guts or determination without a dog there to defend. Sonny instantly started to formulate escape plans in her mind, like maybe running into the school and screaming for help or kicking him where no guy likes to be kicked. This was not going the way she had planned.

"You… you just stay a-away from m-me," Sonny said weakly, clutching her books to her as he slowly stepped off of his motorcycle and began to walk towards her. The dark look was still in his eyes, making Sonny start to back towards the school doors. He quickened his pace and out-walked her, grabbing her by the hem of her skirt and pulling her to him, close. She whimpered, wincing with her eyes closed tightly and her books clutched to her chest. She had never been so frightened in her life.

"Relax," he said, almost annoyed, "I'm not gonna do anything!" Sonny slowly opened her eyes, gulping at their proximity. His body language sure didn't apply that he 'wasn't going to do anything'. She unwillingly looked up at him for a moment. "We're on campus. What makes you think I'd be stupid enough to try something here?"

Sonny refused to say anything, not able to find her voice.

"Look, we are just going to get something straight. On Wednesdays, I'm gonna go off with my friends, ride my bike, do whatever I want to do. You are going to tell people that you are tutoring me, whoever asks. I didn't sign up for this. So, you got it?"

She cleared her throat weakly, staring at the ground.

"What makes you think I'll do that?" she asked, surprisingly finding her voice. "_I_ am supposed to be h-helping you with your courses. I c-can't just _lie_ -"

"You will if I tell you to," he cut her off, his hand moving to a grip on her wrist. "I'm not doing this tutoring _crap_." Sonny was instantly afraid again. "And you're not going to tell anyone. You are the only one who knows, so if I get in trouble for it, I'll know _you_ told. And… well… I think you know that _that_ isn't cool with me." Sonny didn't respond. "Got it?"

She nodded her head vigorously, keeping her eyes on the ground. His hold on her wrist didn't disappear, but loosened very quickly, almost as if he was afraid he was gripping too hard. Neither of them were saying anything, but she didn't stop looking at the ground, and he didn't release her, nor did he move any further away from her. Sonny's heart was beating so fast that it almost hurt, and she was almost positive that he could feel her pulse in her wrist. He almost released her wrist entirely. It was an awkward silence, but he didn't seem to mind.

_He's probably having a pervert moment_, Sonny thought bitterly, too afraid to try and break away. He finally released her wrist, Sonny stepping away instantly, the guy watching her. He started backing towards his bike, still watching her humorously, knowing it was making her uncomfortable and smirking at it. She pouted but didn't say a word, still scared of him for the most part. He said two simple words, as if that made up for the emotional rollercoaster he had just put her through.

"I'm Chad," he winked, smiling suggestively again and making Sonny scowl. He hopped on his bike, cranked it, and sped away loudly, popping a wheelie for the heck of it. She watched as he raced off, not looking back, and sat down on a nearby bench shakily. Sonny took deep, even breaths and thought everything over that had just happened. So, apparently, Ms. Munroe was right. Maybe tutoring here _wasn't_ such a great idea. But, technically, she wasn't tutoring at all. She was just lying by _telling_ anyone who asked that he was being tutored so he could go on living his messed up life and she could live with a guilty conscience.

How could he be so… so… _vulgar_? He just wouldn't stop staring at her like a pervert. He just wouldn't stop smiling like a pervert. He just couldn't stop acting like such a… a… dirty biker! He was just so scary! And rude! And perverted! And so… unpredictably frightening! How could anyone act like that _on purpose_?

So, she was just supposed to sit around and tell no one about this? What if her mother asked? What if Rachel wanted to know how it went? What if one of the teachers asked her? Worse yet, what if his grades didn't improve and people started noticing? He was going to be mad at her when she didn't even say anything! How was she supposed to control that? Unless he suddenly started trying in school (which she seriously doubted) how was _he_ supposed to get around it? The program was a sign-up program, so if he didn't sign himself up, then who did? His parents? They would start noticing and blame her for doing a horrible job, when little do they know that their son was practically threatening his tutor _not_ to tutor him! What would this do to her reputation? Not that she really had one here yet, but _still_! She was Sonny Munroe, and Sonny Munroe was _not_ a bad tutor! She was helpful and she was a ray of sunshine that made _everyone's_ life better!

She was starting to think that eventually she might have to add a new rule: Sonny Munroe helped everyone, even people who _didn't_ want to be helped!

… But when she would get the nerve to go up to him and say that, she never knew.

Sonny Munroe was also not a confrontational person, or the type of person who stood up to anyone for anything unless it was for something extremely important or dear to her heart. Rachel herself had said that would be problem if Sonny wanted to survive here, and she was starting to see what she meant. But she had no idea _how_ are _why_ anyone had to be confrontational all of the time.

She just couldn't shake the dark eyes that… _Chad_ would have when he was angry or aggravated. It scared her out of her mind; and she could tell it didn't matter how much she was around him (which according to him would be never, unless _he_ got something out of it) the look would always frighten her. This Chad guy and his friends were not very tolerant of others if they didn't agree with them.

Oh, God, his _friends. _Sonny seriously doubted that they would be as kind (if you could use that word) as Chad when it came to her personal space and/or safety. And she was sure the only reason she was intact, just shaken, at the moment was because they were right beside a building full of teachers. But his friends; that frightening red-head, the muscular black one, and the obvious leader of their little gang: the bearded, smoking, serial… something-looking pot head. They'd come onto her without thinking twice, _especially_ if somehow it was just them and her… alone. She hated to think that way, shivering.

Sonny was jolted out of her thoughts by the honking of a car horn.

"Sonny!" her mother shouted through the rolled down passenger window. "Sonny! C'mon, let's go!"

"Oh! Coming," she answered, trying to not act shaken as she took a seat beside her mother, but it was too late. She was already suspicious.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Ms. Munroe said worriedly, stroking her daughter's arm soothingly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" Sonny desperately hoped that her mother didn't notice her voice spike.

"Did you meet your person today? For your tutoring session?"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"…And?"

"He was really -"

"It's a _he_? Sonny, what just happened? Did he do this to you? What did he do? Are you hurt?"

"No, Mom, I'm perfectly fine! _He's_ fine!"

Her mother looked her up and down. "It sure doesn't _look_ like he's fine! Sonny, I haven't seen you look this shaken up since you threw up on the rollercoaster at Six Flags. You're as pale as paper. Now, _what happened_?"

"Nothing 'happened', I swear," she lied, her fear of Chad the biker keeping her voice steady. "He, I will admit, Mom, is a little… _rough_ around the edges, but it's nothing I can't handle." Lies, lies, lies, lies.

Her mother watched her, her eyes narrowed. "What's he like?"

"_Mom_, I told you, he's fine -"

"NO, Sonny, I just want to know. I _want to know_. Tell me what he's like."

Sonny shut her eyes tightly, rubbing her temples before blurting out whatever came into her head. "He's rude. But I think that he has, uh, hope."

"Hope?"

"Yeah. Like, maybe while I'm, um, _tutoring_ him," she said the word with disdain, but her mother was too intent on the boy's description to notice, "some of my manners can rub off on him." She flashed her mother with a big smile, full of effort.

"What's his name?"

"Chad."

"_Chad_. Hmm. Sounds like he would be a little pompous."

_That is not an accurate word_, Sonny thought with a roll of her eyes.

"He's rude, okay," Ms. Munroe nodded. "What else?"

"He's… um… stubborn," Sonny continued, restraining herself from saying much more.

"What kind of family does he come from?"

Sonny could only imagine what parents raised _that_, but she said nothing. "I have no idea."

"When are you guys going to meet? Will there be people around?"

"On Wednesdays. And _yes_, Mom, of course!"

"Okay…" Ms. Munroe compromised, nodding her head and looking back at the road. They came to a red light, the car coming to a gentle stop. Sonny's mother turned to her daughter, to ask one more question. She internally groaned. "You seem to have plenty of complaints about this Chad guy. Is there anything _good_ about him?" Sonny was shocked on this change of direction for the question. She didn't know what to say that was good about the biking pervert that scared her out of her wits. But she would much rather comfort her mother with some good things than say, 'nothing'.

"Chad… uh…" she raked her mind. "He's…" the idea came to her mind, and she was actually embarrassed for thinking this was true. Of course, the pervert out-ruled this quality, but she supposed it was a shame it was wasted. "Chad is _really_…" she looked at her mother with her brows raised, blushing slightly, ashamed. "Gorgeous."

"Ah," her brows raised too, smiling the smallest smile. "And just how 'gorgeous' is he? On a scale of…one to Zac Efron?" Sonny rolled her eyes. She'd loved Zac Efron when she was a tween, and her mother never let her forget it.

"He's Zac Efron's younger, better-looking brother," she said feebly.

"OH," her mother grinned. "What does he look like?"

Sonny decided to completely blow this over the top, knowing she would have to laugh about this later when she was alone. She put a hand to her heart. "Oh, Mom," she pretended to faint, making her mother chuckle. "He has dirty blonde hair that flips out on the ends, he's tall and slim, but he's _fit_. And his face is gorgeous. I can't find a flaw anywhere. His teeth are white and straight, his lips are so full, and his _eyes_. Oh my gosh. They are this beautiful electric blue that just glows."

"Yummy," her mom joked.

"And he has this smirk that he's always wearing, and it's so -"

"Hot?"

"Yep," Sonny said as-a-matter-of-factly. She tried so hard not to burst into laughter, knowing how much she was _lying_. "But he's rude and stubborn and…" she chose her words carefully "…rough."

"Got ya," Ms. Munroe nodded, pushing the gas pedal. She couldn't help herself, though. "Be careful, Sonny. _Be careful_."

"Alright."

_Trust me, Mom, I will. It'll always be the only thing on my mind_, Sonny thought, sighing as they rode towards home.

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**Chad told me he will "Give each and every one of you" a hug if you review! Then he laughed...**


	6. Informative Phone Call

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

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**Chapter 5: Informative Phone Call**

"So, who did you get as a tutoree?" Rachel's voice floated to Sonny's ear from the cell phone's speaker. Sonny sighed and slammed back on her bed, flashes of Chad in her mind: the darkness of his eyes, the perverted smile, the motorcycle popping a wheelie. It was like one big, but brief nightmare.

"I don't think you want to know," Sonny said weakly, running a hand through the hair that wasn't strewn across her pillow. "I'm starting to wish that _I_ didn't know. I'm actually starting to wish that I hadn't even signed up for this in the first place."

"Whoa, whoa, tell me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't sound right coming out of your mouth," her new friend sounded surprised.

"It _isn't_!" Sonny cried unhappily, quickly covering her mouth, afraid her mother might have heard. "I don't do things like that, Rachel. I don't _say_ things like that! I am always so dedicated to the education of my fellow students, but -"

"Okay, okay, I know, nerd."

"I'm _not_ a nerd!"

"But you're a very _pretty_ nerd. There. That better?" she tried to compromise.

"Rachel, I'm not a nerd! I just love helping people. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, but you _do_ show dork-like… _qualities_…"

"No way -"

"But it's okay, because you are one of those few people who are nerds but are good-looking! Can you not tell that by the way guys have been making moves on you left and right since you've gotten here? You're fine, Sonny."

Silence.

"Now, tell me who you got."

"I really don't I should tell you," she shook her head, but she knew that her friend couldn't see her over the phone. So instead, she settled for groaning. "You'll go off on me like my mom."

"That can't be good," Rachel muttered. "Can I guess, then?"

"Sure."

"Is it Brandon Laughlin?" she pitched.

"Who's that?"

"I'll take that as a no. How about Robert Jenkins?"

"No idea who that is," Sonny said, bewildered.

"That would be another no. Okay," Rachel continued, "I'll guess what 'group' they are in, how about that?"

"Go ahead," Sonny sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Um, gangster?"

"Nope."

"Football jock?"

"No," she shook her head, turning on her television the movers recently moved on top of her dresser. She flipped through channels as her friend continued to guess randomly.

"Goth?" was about her fifth guess.

"No. Think the same color clothes, though."

"So, I'm getting that they are _bad_?"

"Of course! Otherwise I wouldn't be talking about _quitting_ it! Well, if he has it his way, it's over already," Sonny mumbled unhappily. She glanced out the window nervously, almost scared she would see the dangerous, precariously dark blue staring back at her.

"Oh, it's a _guy_! What's so bad about a guy? If any guy came near me, I wouldn't care. Heck, I'd be happy!"

Sonny sighed heavily. She just didn't understand. If she knew that Sonny's tutoree was a potential felon or future offender, she'd think a little differently.

"But he isn't just _any_ guy," Sonny tried to explain without totally going into complete detail.

"Tell me this," Rachel continued determinedly. "Is he hot?"

"Well… yes, but -"

"No, there are no 'buts'! He's smokin'. Makes him even more dangerous, sounds like."

"I guess so," Sonny sighed. She finally stopped aimlessly flipping TV channels and kept it on HBO. Sonny almost jumped when she heard something drop heavily on the other side of the phone.

"Crap," she heard Rachel mutter. "Sorry, dropped something. _Okay_, tell me what kind of car he drives."

"Doesn't have one," Sonny answered. It technically wasn't true, it was a _motorcycle_. Or death traps on wheels, as she liked to think of it.

"What kind of money does 'dangerous Mr. Hotty' come from?"

"No idea. But I'd guess they… didn't have much."

"You aren't giving me _anything_ to work with, gosh! Why don't you just tell me who it is?"

"Remember what you told me before you left yesterday?" Sonny groaned, watching motorcycles ride by in the movie she was watching (which she had no idea what it was). She heard a long sigh of acknowledgement on the other end.

"_Oooh, _yeah, I do."

"He applies to that. Like _100%_ applies."

"Uh oh."

"Is that not what I've been trying to get across to you for the past ten minutes?" she chuckled, trying to lift her own spirits even though she knew it was quite hopeless.

"Uh oh. _Uh_ oh. Uh _oh. _Okay, when you say '100% applies', do you mean -?

"Yes, Rachel," she said meekly. "He is… _really_ bad."

"Oh God. Not good."

"At all."

"That's right, Sonny. At all." There was a long pause. "This could be dangerous, Sonny. I'm not kidding. There are bad people in the school, then there are the _bad_ people in the school, if you catch my drift."

"I think I do," she gulped.

"If you have one of the _bad_ people in the school, especially a guy, _especially _especially a HOT guy; get another partner."

"Well, he scared me into not tutoring him and just telling people that I was," Sonny tried to find the hope in the situation. "So I won't really be seeing him any."

"He _threatened_ you?" her voice was low. "What did he say? He didn't… _do_ anything, did he?"

"No! Well… I thought he was, but no! He didn't _do_ anything to me. Just scared the living daylight out of me."

"What -?"

"Oh my gosh, Rachel, he said that if I told anyone he'd know! Because I was the only person he'd talked to about it! Oh no! You can't tell _anyone_ that he intimidated me into lying. You can _not_. He'll…" Sonny could picture him riding up on his black bike, climbing off with that deadly look of anger in his eyes, directed right at her. Fear rushed through her like a tidal wave. "Just… _please_ don't say anything to _anyone_."

"Sonny, I'm worried about this!"

"No, don't -"

"If he _threatened_ you, Sonny, and I mean _threatened_ you, then you need to tell someone! This can't go on!" Rachel exclaimed.

"He didn't say he'd hit me or anything!" she tried to downsize the situation at hand.

"What _did_ he say?"

"He just said that 'it was not cool with him. And that would not be good.' Then he gave me this… _look_…"

"If he's not a gangster, or not a Goth… Sonny Monroe, be honest with me."

"…"

"Is it…? Is it a Leatherhead?"

"Conzuntite?"

Rachel groaned, and Sonny could almost see her rolling her eyes. "Is it a _biker_, Sonny?" Her voice was quiet.

"Uh…"

"_Sonny_…"

"Yes!"

An extremely long moment of silence passed between them, and Sonny had to constantly keep looking at her screen to make sure Rachel hadn't hung up. When her friend finally spoke up again, her voice was a different tone. Restrained. Careful. Quiet.

"Which one?"

"Chad."

An almost longer silence than the first tainted the air.

"Okay."

"'Okay?' Is that all you have to say?"

"Sonny, stay away from him." The tone of voice almost sounded scary. "You couldn't have gotten stuck with someone in a worse group, but you probably got the nicest or second nicest guy out of his little 'biker gang'." Sonny almost couldn't believe it. If Chad was the nice one, she didn't even want to picture the others. "Even in elementary, he was always a class clown and a trouble-maker. But starting in about eighth grade… he met a Senior. About the worst Senior you could get involved with. Along with his little Junior cronies." That must be the group she saw at the gas station. "And it wasn't good, Sonny. Went downhill from there. Starting about ninth grade, rumors started circling around about what he did after school… what he did on the weekends. He luckily wasn't around when his buddies got caught with some Mary Jane, but no body doubts and he doesn't deny partaking. His friends have had several drug charges against them, but they never seem to be sent off to the Big House. Always find someway out of it. Nobody knows how." Sonny sat there in complete silence, the TV seemingly non-existent. She was holding onto every word, horrified. Rachel continued.

"And…" she seemed to gulp, "… starting in about tenth grade, he was caught smoking." This shocked Sonny. Unlike his fellow bikers, his breath didn't smell and his teeth weren't yellow. "But he doesn't do it much. I think that's why he somehow manages to not smell like smoke all of the time and have white teeth. And… uh… I don't really like saying this part." Sonny almost didn't want to hear, but some part of her had to know more. "Right after Christmas in tenth grade, about halfway through the year, people started talking about… well… the _guys_ were looking at him like a god; it was gross, really… not only the things he'd say and do, but… what he started doing to _girls_." Sonny gasped, and Rachel backtracked. "No, no, Sonny, he didn't _rape_ anyone, calm down. Whatever he did, I'm sure it was mutual. And with some sluts who had no problem with it."

"Oh." She sighed in relief. Well, she couldn't say what she was hearing didn't phase her. But she was glad to hear nothing was 'forced'.

"_But_ -" Uh oh. "- that doesn't mean that I would put that past him, Sonny. He's only gotten worse. All of that was two years ago. No telling what he's done and _is_ doing now. That's another reason to _stay away_." Sonny whimpered. "I'm not going to lie, girl. You are extremely pretty."

"Aw, Rachel -"

"So it makes it even more _dangerous_ for you. He's going to be attracted to you like a magnet, and unlike the other girls he's interested in, you're not going to give him what he wants. And… most likely, that will make him mad. And he'll want it even more." Sonny's smile was wiped clear. "So, on the off chance you are ever around each other, I cannot stress this enough. _Do. Not. Be. Alone._"

Sonny almost couldn't speak, her body shaking.

"W-wow."

"And keep in mind what I said," Rachel said quietly, almost like she was afraid if she spoke loud enough they'd show up. "He's the _nicest_ out of that group. So never ever go near his friends, Sonny. Chad is a dangerous, crazed, temperamental dog only bound to a wall by a thin rope. His friends are rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth dogs running around free and you don't have a gun. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Sonny's mouth was hung open, her knees curled up to her chest. She was practically rocking back and forth, staring out of her window.

"Sonny?"

She pictured the blonde-haired bad boy, smiling devilishly as he came closer to her. They were alone in a dark alley. The only sound she could hear was the barking of distant dogs somewhere, and crickets chirping. It was dark and cold. A single light that was old and forgotten illuminated the cranny alone, flickering every now and then as if it couldn't decide if it wanted to go out or not. Suddenly, in a flash, he was an inch away from her and she was too terrified to scream. He pulled the hem of her skirt to close the distance between them like he had the day before. And suddenly, the light went out.

"Sonny? Are you there? Did you hang up on me?"

"Oh, no! N-no. I'm h-here."

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah."

"You don't sound okay. Sonny, don't let what I said freak you out. As long as you don't hang around him, you'll be fine. _Stick with me_, and you'll be fine. Okay?" There was an encouraging smile in her voice.

"Alright," Sonny took a deep breath. "Thanks for the nightmares for tonight, though."

Rachel laughed. "It's not real. Calm down. Don't get near him and you'll be good. Just lie and do what he told you."

"Okay. Bye. See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Sonny."

She heard the cell hang up and she slammed back onto her pillow, sighing with her eyes shut tight. She had never felt so terrified in her entire life. Worse than the roller coaster at Six Flags! How did she get into this situation? _Why_ did she have to get into this situation? All she ever wanted to do was help the student body, and this is what she gets? A potentially dangerous, crazed biker who had nothing in mind except… things _she_ definitely wasn't comfortable thinking about? Was God punishing her for something?

_Why_ would fate do this to her?

As if leaving your friends, family, and whole life behind and moving somewhere where you knew _no one_ wasn't hard enough, this had to be added on? Really? Did He think this was funny?

Sonny heard a knock on her door, jolting her out of her self-pitying session. Her mother peered in, and she tried her best to come off as smiley like always. Her mother looked excited, letting Sonny know that she had not overheard anything she shouldn't have and was coming in to discuss it. Ms. Monroe said down at the foot of her daughter's bed, smiling largely. Although many times it was hard to tell, Sonny did get her face-eating smile from her mother. Ms. Monroe just never showed it much.

"I have something I need to tell you," she gushed to Sonny, clasping her hands together. "Soon, I'm going to have a little cocktail party and invite all of my friends from work over! They'll get to see the house, meet you…" She trailed off as Lucky jumped up on Sonny's bed, obediently plopping down in her daughter's lap. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Awesome!" she grinned enthusiastically, truly happy that her mother was happy. "Are they nice?"

"It seems like it!" Ms. Monroe smiled. She frowned slightly. "There is one woman who seems like she _may_ be the two-faced type, but I'm not trying to pass any judgments before I know her. But I'll be friends with her, I'll do my best!"

"Oh, Mom, look at you! Making friends and having a little get-together," Sonny giggled, playfully hitting her mom's arm. "I'm sure it'll go great and they'll all love it!"

"Thanks for the support, sweetie. So… how are things going with you?" she asked curiously. "Are you ever planning on inviting anyone over? How about that… Rachel girl, was it?"

Sonny tried not to laugh as she thought of the incident yesterday at lunch with names. "I think I'll invite her over sometime, Mom. Don't know when, but sometime."

"Okay," the right corner of her mouth pulled up. She looked at Sonny for a moment, making her a little self-conscious. "Honey, I'm sorry if I ever seem like I'm nosey or ask to many questions or if I'm overprotective."

_You need to be protective with what I have going on now_, Sonny thought frantically.

"I just really want you to be happy here and make friends."

"It's totally cool, Mom. I understand," Sonny nodded sincerely. She did actually understand it now, what with the dangers suddenly presented in her life that her mother knew could come, but she didn't listen. Why didn't she listen again? Oh yeah, because she thought that 'she could get to the soft, sweet side of anybody'. Now she was starting to see that that was beginning to be a load of baloney. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ms. Monroe began scrutinizing her.

"And… I want you to know that if _anything_ is ever bothering you, you can come talk to me about it." She looked her daughter straight in the eye, and Sonny did exactly what she always did. She put on a straight face and nodded. But she couldn't tell her mom. Not now. She'd go insane and would never let her sign up for anything ever again. "Good night, sweetie." Ms. Monroe got up and went to the door frame, turning around and smiling. "I love you."

"'Night," she returned, grinning. "Love you, too." Her mother took one last look at her beautiful daughter before shutting the door softly.

_Lord, let fate change_, Sonny prayed before turning out the lights and lying down to sleep.

But He always has a plan. And, unfortunately, taking Chad out of the equation was not part of it.

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**Ooh, Chaddy is a Baddy! Review! Tell me what you think of Mister Bad Boy!**


	7. Too Close for Comfort

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

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**Chapter 6: Too Close for Comfort**

"Hey!"

Sonny jumped, startled at the sudden presence near. She was late today. Her mother had forgotten to wake her up, oversleeping a bit herself. By the time Sonny was up, the school bell had already rung. Being a perfect attendance student, she was trying to sneak in her next class quietly. Apparently someone had heard her enter... Oh no, what if it was a teacher? She could get a... she hated to think it... tardy!

"Hey, Sonny," the boy called out again, mockingly. "Did ya hear me?"

Sonny's eyes widened as she recognized the deep, silky voice. She suddenly screamed in her mind. Rachel's advice suddenly haunted her in a memory:

_Do. Not. Ever. Be. Alone._

Her blood ran cold. No one was in the hallway. Everyone was in class.

Except her.

And him...

"Hey, are you deaf or something?" Chad asked, now standing right in front of her shell-shocked face. He noticed her scared expression and laughed bitterly. She held her breath. "You seem surprised to see me here," he noted. "I don't see why. I seem like the type to roam the halls when class is in session and all the good little students are in class, don't I?" Sonny nodded nervously. "But you," he said so low it was more of a whisper. "You, sweetheart," he twirled a strand of her hair that was lying limply on her shoulder, "you seem more like the good little student in class, don't you?" Sonny, not knowing what to say, did nothing. "Aw, come on now!" he laughed. "Why are you so quiet?" Sonny's still shocked expression gave him the answer. "Oooh!" he realized, sticking his hands into the pockets of his dirty jeans and leaning against the lockers, smirking. "You heard about Bad Chad, did you? Well, you can't believe everything you hear. Not all of it's true." Chad seemed to reconsider, shrugging to himself as if it was no big deal. "Well, most of it is."

"I - I… um…" Sonny couldn't speak, her knees shaking (which were covered in skinny jeans today, thank goodness. Now he would have no skirt to pull her by like in her nightmares). "I need to get to c-class…"

"Oh, please, one little class?" he questioned, rolling his eyes and stepping closer to her, making her step a step backwards. "Nothing to worry about. You need to get out more. Have fun." Sonny's eyes widened as his proximity dwindled to about 2 inches, causing her to back against the lockers, making them clang loudly, in an attempt to get away. "_We_ could have some fun…"

Sonny's heart went into overdrive, fear encasing it. When she was about to result to the only thing she knew how to do in these situations (kick him somewhere where he wouldn't want to be kicked), her mind ran through so many things within a matter of seconds. She was in school, she reminded herself. But that thought didn't comfort her for long. When his eyes turned that darker shade of blue that indicated nothing good, all reassuring thoughts were driven from her mind. Then she came to a fearful conclusion.

She was stuck. Nowhere to go.

His eyes were dark, frightening, causing her whimper and him to snicker. He came closer, placing a hand on the lockers by each side of her head, trapping her. His eyes showed dark hunger; her eyes showed nothing but intense fear. His eyes went from that of scary and pitch black to something more: _plotting_. Sonny could see that he was thinking, most likely about getting her away, no doubt. Quietly. When he came closer and she was frozen, all hope lost as his hands reached for her wrists, a shout interrupted this surreal nightmare.

"Get away from her!"

Both of their heads snapped towards the voice, Sonny relieved and Chad angry. A determined girl marched towards the both of them, her green eyes determined but a little frightened themselves, avoiding Chad.

"Rachel, this is none of your business!" he growled, a hand dropping from one of the sides beside her head.

"Chad, get away," she demanded, grabbing her friend's wrist and pulling her behind her back. It looked like it was taking every bit of her courage to do this, but she was determined. "Keep your dirty hands off of her." It didn't sound like a threat, but more like a fact. Sonny was in too much shock to speak.

"We were in the middle of something!" Chad raged, his eyes dangerous and drilling into Rachel's. He subconsciously stepped forward, his fists clenched. He was quite an intimidating figure, clad in a rough leather jacket and taller than both of them, angry and stepping towards them with fists balled and eyes warning.

"No, _you_ were in the middle of something," she fired back, pushing Sonny protectively even further behind her. "Leave her. There are hundreds of girls in this school to screw with, Chad. Leave the new girl alone!"

His face contorted to that of a frightening, abyssal outrage. His mouth opened, about to yell, but he bit his lip with unbelievable force, painful. Both girls watched fearfully, Sonny cowering behind Rachel. Rachel looked like she was about to break down. His dark eyes bulged, snapping back and forth between the two girls. He let out a forceful breath through his nose, like an angry bull, and walked roughly past them. Chad's shoulder collided with both Rachel's and Sonny's, making them stumble back.

His eyes stared at Sonny hungrily, frustrated, as he passed until he was too far away to glare at her unless he turned all the way around. Her eyes were held to his gaze, unable to look away. A flood of panic flooded through her, causing her knees to buckle. When he was out of sight, Rachel knelt down to a disoriented Sonny who was leaning against the wall for support.

"_What_ was _that_?" Rachel hissed between bared teeth, unbelievably frustrated. "Sonny, what part of STAY AWAY do you not understand? Please, tell me! I'd just _love_ to hear your reason! Because _that_ -" she pointed angrily towards the direction Chad disappeared "- was definitely not _staying away_!"

"I - I didn't go looking for h-him!" she was barely able to get out, staring blankly at the floor. Her mind was in a state of shock. "I got in late today, and he was here! In the h-hallway!" Her voice was becoming hysteric. "I didn't go looking for him, Rachel! I didn't go looking!" Her throat was beginning to ache. She swallowed the lump.

Rachel stood back up to her full height, sighing deeply and running a hand through her short hair. "Sonny, Sonny, Sonny…" she shook her head. She turned her head towards her friend, her brows creased and her eyes filled with worry and pity. "I guess you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"He's always in the hallways… skipping class…" Sonny stated, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that anyone could skip class so guiltlessly, but _mostly_ about how any time in between classes was not safe. "Am I… am I ever…?"

"My plan would have worked," Rachel breathed, messaging her temples, "but now that he ran into you and he has his mind on you… I think your job now will be _avoiding_ him."

Sonny gasped silently. "He's…"

"He's gonna keep his eye out for you, yeah," Rachel slapped a hand to her forehead. When Sonny looked like she was about to fall to pieces, her friend took her wrists and pulled her up, smiling hopefully.

"Okay, come on, let's forget about… that guy!" she tried to sound comical. "Let's go to break!"

"I missed class? The whole class?" Sonny panicked, her mind somewhere else completely in a second. "I missed a _whole class period _of work? Oh no!" Both of her hands slapped her forehead. "My record is already ruined by a tardy! And I've only been going here for a week!"

"It'll be alright," Rachel patted her friend's back, escorting her to the cafeteria. "You can just go talk to Mr. Sander after school and get your work."

"What will my mom say? She'll ask why I have all of this work, and she'll check online and see that I have a tardy! No, an _absence_! What do I tell her? What happened?"

"No! Gosh, Sonny, calm down! You act like every little thing is going to make the earth stop turning!" she exclaimed, pulling Sonny to a stop and shaking her shoulders. "Calm down, alright? You'll get through this."

How did Rachel expect her to 'get through this'? She was now being watched (practically stalked) by one of the school's most dangerous bad boys, she had missed an entire class period of work, and now she was expected to just… _get through it_? What does she do? Why did he have to just zone in on her? Did he see her innocence, her _cleanliness_, and now he wanted to ruin that? She was the new girl, and he had to have claim to the one girl he hadn't encountered?

"Why me?" Sonny asked softly, biting her lip.

Rachel had an answer, but she looked hesitant. Finally, she replied. "He wants what he doesn't have. Or _can't_ have."

"Can't have?" she questioned.

"Can't have," Rachel clarified with a nod. "You're innocent, Sonny. You're new. You're attractive. You're clean and obviously untouched by any other guy. He sees you as the total opposite of him; unobtainable. That's why he's so attracted. He wants to be able to say, 'look at what I did! I fooled around with Sonny Munroe!'. It almost gives him an all new level of… 'badness'."

Sonny was drowned by a wave of fear once more. "F-fooled around with?"

"He has more on his mind than just taking you out," Rachel spared a hesitant glance toward her best friend.

"Oh my God," Sonny whispered, running a hand through her hair.

"Probably just to impress his friends," she rolled her eyes. "He'd gain an all new level of 'respect' or 'ranking' or something." She rolled her eyes once again. "I know he's fooled around with girls… it's pretty obvious… but I don't know if he's ever… well, you know…" She was speaking quietly now as they entered the cafeteria early.

"He's ever what?" Sonny already knew the answer, but she didn't want to say it.

Rachel stared at Sonny as if she was asking 'you sure want me to say it?'.

With regret, she finished. "Ever… taken a girl's virginity."

* * *

**Dun, Dun, Duhhhh! That was a little more intense than I'm used to writing LOL. What do you think? Was it too much?**

**Oh, and to PuRpLe DyNaMiTe, Rachel has green eyes too. I mentioned that when she came to the rescue (duh duh duh-duuhhh!) And Lucky is some kind of mut. Maybe a mix between a Yorkie and a Shih Tzu. :)**

**And would anyone mind taking part in my new poll on my profile?**

**BTW, on another note, what did you guys think of the season 2 finale "New Girl"? I felt like crying. They'll get back together in season 3, right? This was just a ploy to pull us in for the next season and to keep Channy from getting boring, right? I need comfort, people! Speaking of that...**

**I HAVE A NEW ONE-SHOT ON MY PROFILE, venting all of us Sonny + Chad fans thoughts to CDC himself.**

**Review!**


	8. Beauty Isn't Bliss

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Beauty Isn't Bliss**

Sonny laid on the rough wooden floor of her 'tree house' for the umpteenth time in the past few days. She liked to think while in this place. Staring at the grey clouds, blue sky, cotton balls surrounded with blue, or the stars themselves helped to clear her mind. Or cloud it even more, no pun intended. It really just depended. The Wisconsinite did have a lot to think about, after all. She pitied herself, really.

_From: Rachel_

_Call back: 555-8900_

_Hey. How are you? U know… with stuff?_

There wasn't a need for an explanation to her vague question. She knew what her friend meant. And to be honest, she felt ready to talk about it. Sonny was through running away from this. She was still more frightened than she could put into words, but she was through with the whimpering-in-the-corner. Sonny needed to vent.

_To: Rachel_

_Call: 555-4414_

_Okay I guess. Thinking._

She locked her phone's screen, waiting for a reply. Sonny watched as what appeared to be an extremely distant satellite slowly blinked and crossed her line of sight. Lucky satellite. No worries. No life. Ugh.

_To: Sonny_

_Call back: 555-8900_

_O. U in your tree house?_

She smiled. Was she that obvious?

_To: Rachel_

_Call: 555-4414 _

_How'd you know? :)_

She couldn't explain it, but smiley faces made her feel better. Sure, it was childish, but since when did she care about that? She watched as an owl flew across her line of sight, startling her for a moment. She hadn't been expecting to see a large black mass come out of nowhere when she was alone… outside… at night. If had been any bigger she would have screamed. Sonny ran a hand through her hair. This was not healthy. She was _too_ afraid.

But she couldn't help it.

_From: Rachel_

_Call back: 555-8900_

_You R so predictable Sonny :D It'll be ok. It'll pass. I think._

Sonny certainly hoped… _he _moved on. Fast. She was sick of living in fear every minute. It would be a feeling hard to explain to anyone not in the situation; many people would say she was overreacting. But if you were the definition of innocent and naïve, just moved to a foreign and frightening place, and soon found out you had a tall, dark, not-so-safe guy practically obsessed with… doing _something_… you'd be watching your back every minute, too.

_To: Rachel_

_Call: 555-4414_

_I hope so. Don't know if I can live like this a lot longer D:_

She couldn't take this to anyone besides Rachel. The cops: no. They wouldn't do anything and they had more pressing matters to deal with than a paranoid teenage girl. And they would surely notify her mother. Not _even_ an option.

_From: Rachel_

_Call back: 555-8900_

_Y won't u talk to your mom again?_

She couldn't even begin to explain how her mother would freak and never let her out of the house again.

_To: Rachel_

_Call: 555-4414_

_Major freak out. Never allowed to c daylight again. D:_

Quite an understatement, actually.

_From: Rachel_

_Call: 555-8900_

_Oh. Enough said. In the mean time what r u gonna do?_

Sonny sighed, her hand dropping her phone hopelessly onto the floor of the tree house. She sat up, sighing in a choked way, intertwining her fingers with her thick hair. Her head was buried between her knees as her mind began to throb. What _was_ she going to do? Just avoid him? She couldn't do that every single day for the next - who knew how long! That would be nearly impossible. They did go to the same school, and since _he_ was going to be keeping an eye out for _her_, it was a 1 in 1,000 chance that she would never encounter him.

She lifted her head, hands still raking her hair away from her pained face. She stared at the moon, the stars, and prayed for a miracle.

_God, if you're there… I need help._ she thought, closing her eyes tightly with her brows knitted and throat aching. _I'm scared to death. I just moved here to this weird, alien planet known as California, and I am about to lose my sanity within two weeks of moving here. This scary, determined, freaky biker guy is obsessed with doing _something_ to me - with me - whatever, and I am so _SCARED_. Please, please, please, help. I don't know how, or why, or when, but _please_… I need a miracle. Something that will make this place less painful for me. Not that I hate it here, God! It's really nice… but the things that have happened to me since I got here are so frightening. I need something or _someone_… just something to… um, protect me or something. I only just got here and I already feel like my life is some dangerous soap opera. Life is -_

She was cut short by the buzz of her cell phone.

_From: Rachel_

_Call back: 555-8900_

_R u there?_

Not wanting to feel disrespectful, she quickly brought her prayer to a close.

_Amen._

Sighing, she answered.

_To: Rachel_

_Call: 555-4414_

_Yeah. Doing something._

Her phone buzzed just a few seconds later.

_From: Rachel_

_Call back: 555-8900_

_What?_

Sonny typed her reply, a smile on her lips for some reason she didn't understand.

_To: Rachel_

_Call: 555-4414_

_Praying : )_

Buzz.

_From: Rachel_

_Call back: 555-8900_

…_Praying?_

Sonny didn't waver when replying.

_To: Rachel_

_Call: 555-4414_

_Yeah. I need all the help I can get right now._

* * *

Sonny sat in the sand with her best friend, smiling at the ocean swelling in and out in front of her. The soothing sound reached her ears and calmed her. She had a sudden desire to run her hands through the warm, grainy sand. Sonny did so.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked curiously, eying her friend with a strange look. Sonny jumped and stopped what she was doing immediately, wiping her hands off on her towel self-consciously.

"Nothing," she shrugged harmlessly, suddenly very enticed by a hang glider passing above.

She shook her head. "Tourist."

"I'm new and I lived in a place where snow was common almost _all of the time_," she defended, sticking out her bottom lip. "Give me a break!"

The warm sun beat down on the both of them, a salty breeze sweeping by. Sonny's thick hair blew around her face and into her mouth slightly, making her laugh boisterously. She humorously pulled it from her mouth, making Rachel snort and roll her eyes. Sonny sighed slowly, watching the waves lazily weave around it's watery plain.

"I suppose I can."

Sonny giggled at her friend's response. They were both sitting on a towel, side by side, bikini-clad and wearing large sunglasses, deciding to go cliché today. The sun was making the sand so bright it was hard to look at, and the Wisconsinite watched in awe as so many people just walked around like this was nothing special. The crystal blue water, the blinding white sand, the gorgeous weather; were they insane? Did none of them realize that they were in the lap of luxury?

"This is great," Sonny expressed her feelings, not taking her eyes away from the water, smiling brilliantly as a surfer in the distance wiped out. The sun was like a brilliant, shining ball in the sky, smiling at everyone. Her smile reflected it perfectly. "Isn't it?" A couple of running five year-olds ran by them, laughing their high-pitched laughs. Covered in sand, the small boy and girl chased one another in circles. She watched in amusement.

The small blonde boy giggled, kicking sand at the little brown-headed tike he was chasing.

"Dylan, stop!" she laughed gleefully, barely able to speak as she held her stomach. The little girl collapsed on the ground in a fit of giggles. The boy laughed, too, grabbing her hands and pulling her up with all of his might.

"C'mon, let's go build sand castles, Ally!" he grinned, practically dragging her laughing form away to the other side of the beach. Sonny watched their little forms fade away.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" she cooed, placing a hand over her heart. Silence. Sonny's smile shrunk slightly, turning to her friend in question. Why wasn't she answering?

Rachel was staring at Sonny, her eyes unreadable behind her shades. Her lips were pursed, but in an odd smile. She instantly felt self-conscious, looking down at her body and then to her friend.

"What?"

Rachel shook her head, looking away towards a couple walking by.

"Life so isn't fair," was her brief reply. Sonny opened her mouth to question further, but Rachel stopped her. "Look at you, Sonny. Freakin' look at you."

"Excuse me?" Sonny asked, thoroughly confused. Her tone easily revealed it. Rachel sighed, almost peeved.

"It's not fair," she said repeatedly. "Look at yourself. You're _so_… ugh! Gorgeous! It is so not fair! And you don't even realize it or use it to your advantage or anything. And you aren't snobby about it either! You're nice! _Too_ nice, actually. So I can't even hate you!"

Sonny laughed doubtfully, looking herself up and down. It was just a simple yellow bikini, showing off her tan that she managed to get on the rare sunny days they would have in Wisconsin. And being out in the California sun didn't hurt, either. She didn't look bad, she supposed, but she was nothing special. She really had _no idea_ what Rachel was going on about.

"What - I - huh?" she finished weakly, eyebrows raised in total confusion. "Don't know how you are seeing _that_."

"And you're humble, too! It never ends, does it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately, Sonny?" she rolled her eyes. "Wanna switch bodies anytime soon, call me."

"You are beautiful, Rachel. Don't even think -"

"Oh, that's a load of crap and we both know it. My scrawny, pale, freckle-covered self. Psh, please. You can just stop trying to convince me right now, because I can go ahead and tell you that -"

"Stop!" Sonny said loudly, covering her ears. "I don't want to hear it! You are beautiful and you need to learn to accept it!"

"Really?" she asked skeptically, bitterly. "If I am so 'beautiful', then how come I don't have a boyfriend, huh?"

"Well, if _I'm _so 'gorgeous', then how come _I_ don't have one?" Sonny questioned.

"You choose not to!" Rachel sighed exasperatedly, slapping a hand to her forehead. "You've had all kinds of guys hit on you since you got here! And you have _had_ to have some guy action back in Wisconsin, am I wrong?"

"First of all, all of the guys that have approached me shouldn't even be _counted_," Sonny shook her head, shivering. "They were just pervs and nothing else. And… if you _must_ know… yes I had a little. But it was only _one_ guy. And it was over after a month."

"Well," her bitter friend shrugged, "that's one more than I've had."

Sonny kept her shock to herself. "Well, you are a beautiful, strong, smart, independent woman, and you don't a need a _man_ to tell you that! Take the high road! That's what I'm doing!"

Rachel lifted her shoulders and dropped them in a shrug. "Sure. Whatever. If I had a dime for every time I've heard that one." But Sonny detected a mumble she was clearly not meant to hear. "No wonder Chad wants you."

Sonny's smile and cheerful mood vanished at the mention of his name. His dark, dangerous eyes were all she could see, her heart racing as the malicious form came closer to her. Rachel glanced at Sonny, but her eyes widened behind her glasses.

"No, Sonny, don't think about him! Don't think about… You Know Who! Think about the pretty beach, remember?" she begged. "Think of the children! 'Aw, so cute!', remember?"

"Uh huh," she said in monotone, burying her head in her hands and sighing heavily, sounding too stressed out for anyone her age to be.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said immediately, quickly. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! I just ruined the whole afternoon, didn't I?"

"No," Sonny said determinedly, her head popping up and her eyes shining with courage. "I am _not_ going to think about… Ch-Chad -" she shivered involuntarily "-and we are going to have a good time! I'll suck it up and forget it!"

"Sometimes talking about it is best," Rachel suggested timidly.

"We need to just let it go and -"

"Sonny, I'm going to tell you, as someone who has known Chad since 2nd grade…" she trailed off, meekly, but knowing it needed to be said. An abnormally strong gust of wind swept the beach, making Sonny's hair blow around her face and Rachel's blow back. "And, um… this is… something you can't just _shake off_. In the hallway, he was… well, I'm not going to say I've never seen him like that, because I have… but rarely. _Rarely_, Sonny. I'm not trying to make this scarier for you than it already is, honestly I'm not, but… don't take this situation lightly. It'll be a miracle if he moves on _any_time soon."

Sonny whimpered, but stared at the endless blue sea, drowning. "That's what I prayed for," she mumbled.

* * *

**What do you think of Rachel's outburst? Did anyone get the foreshadowing in this chapter? Guess and see if you caught the hint I threw in there! Whoever gets it right I will put in the next chapter!**


	9. Drinks and 'Cards'

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Most of you were really good at guessing the foreshadowing! But I'm gonna go ahead and let you know that NO, they have not met before. So the theory about them being childhood friends is wrong. But good guess, though LOL! Alexa and I are really happy with all of the reviews and followers, even if you don't review. But reviewing is still appreciated, ha ha! It helps us know what you guys are thinking/wanting, and it inspires us to keep going. Thank you so much! Also, there will be songs picked to go with certain scenes and/or chapters. Even if you don't feel like looking it up, I REALLY recommend that you do. It helps SO much with imagery.**

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**Chapter 8: Drinks and 'Cards'**

The darkness engulfed the beach, making anything at all nearly impossible to see. All that seemed comprehendible was a world of uncertain sound: the loud and lazy waves, the sea gulls cawing, the insects chirping, and a small crackle of a fire. The last sound was all that provided any sight of any of these array of things, often providing an uneasy air to settle among anyone unlucky enough to be near. But the darkness and lack of visibility wasn't necessarily what made someone unlucky. The group of people taking a sit and a couple of drinks and smokes underneath a large, dark, old dock is what would bring an unfortunate end to anyone wandering along.

This group of men were not wavered by the lack of sight, however, for they had been underneath this place many times before. They had their fire; their beast, crackling fire that they would throw their cans and bottles into when finished. They had to at least _try_ to get rid of evidence, right? Incase a person comes along and stumbles across their leftover trash… especially a cop. Police were scum in their eyes: overreacting killjoys who ruined everything in life worth doing. That's why they did anything and everything that might rile them. It would teach the paranoid party-stoppers a lesson.

One of the men, the roughest and oldest, sighed and leaned back in his plastic, dirty chair. He scratched an itchy spot on his short and dark beard, smirking. The overly-large black one grinned, revealing his yellow teeth, knowing what was coming. One, two, then three seconds passed. Then…

A loud belch filled the still night, making the three other guys there laugh and slap their hands to their knees.

"Nice," the bearded one complimented himself, adjusting his leather vest on his broad shoulders. "Rage, I wanna hear yours. See if you can beat me tonight."

A slightly disoriented red-head emerged from behind one of the dock's gargantuan dark pillars, grinning evilly.

"You know you are the only _freak_ out here who can burp on… c-command after drinkin' beer, man," Rage smirked, slurring his words slightly. "I gave you props last night, dude. Leave it at that."

"That's right," the man grinned, his dark teeth glinting in the firelight, "didn't think so. The King, right here." He pointed to himself, looking a little uncoordinated under the influence of the alcohol.

But another belch broke through the silence, louder and more pronounced than the first. All three heads snapped to the blonde boy who had been sitting on a makeshift log, not saying much, just chugging them down until now. After what seemed like ten full seconds, his mouth closed and the sound ceased. A few moments of silence passed, shortly followed by an outburst of laughter.

"There you go, man!" the baby-faced one boomed, turning to a pissed-looking leader. "I think Chad just sto' yo' crown, Lawson."

"Shut _up_, Rod," Lawson barked, making the large man called Rod instantly quiet. Rage was still laughing dumbly, the alcohol disorienting his thinking. He glared, and Rage shut up as quickly as his drunk laughter had filled the space. Lawson turned to Chad with something that was supposed to be a bittersweet smile, but came off more as a grimace. "Well, well, Chad. Look a here at you… beaten the ole man in a belching contest." His eyes glinted as he watched an unshaken-looking Chad meet his eyes. "Good for _you_." It wasn't necessarily the fact that he had been beaten in a supposed-to-be insignificant burping contest, or that his emotions were easier to spike since he was fairly drunk, but it was more like a challenge to his power, his seniority. The blonde shrugged and put his elbows on his knees for support, leering at Lawson like they had been through this many times before.

"It just came out of me, man," he smirked with his signature smug look, letting the leader know that he was still in control. Lawson grinned widely and uneasily, laughing a bit like Rage had earlier. The beer was getting to his head.

"Sure, Chad, s-sure," he slurred, laughing a laugh that would send a shiver down the spine of any other person that wasn't used to it. Silence followed, the fire crackled, and Rage brought up a random subject that probably seemed completely relevant in his swirling mind.

"You know what I want?" he asked the other three loudly, as if they had impaired hearing. They raised their eyebrows. "I want a _w-woman_." He laughed dumbly, his unattractive teeth showing as his smelly breath fanned the fire. "A _sexy w-woman_."

"When's da last time we saw a freakin' hot one?" Rod said bitterly, throwing his green glass bottle into the fire and watching the light dance with aggravation.

"At the strip club," Lawson laughed, his voice low.

"Naw, man," he shook his head, shrugging. He made eye contact with Rage, smiling a smile that was supposed to be flirtatious. "I don't mind _them_, though, don't get me wrong now." He kicked the sand, his heavy dark boot scraping. "All o' them are sluts, man. I'm lovin' them," he added when he saw a look come from Chad that said 'you say that like it's a problem'. "But I want somethin' different. Somethin' more… _real_, ya know?"

When he looked to his fellow bikers when they weren't answering, they were all peering at him like he was insane. Then they all burst into laughter simultaneously.

"That's funny, man," Lawson chuckled as the laughter died down. "It almost sounded like you were talkin' about _settlin' down_ or some crap like that."

Rod busted into chuckles as well, but they weren't as loud as their's had been. "Naw, dude, that's a bunch a bull. I'm talkin' about… someone not willin' ta just come up to me and show me everythin' in five seconds. I want somebody more… _innocent_, I guess. Still feisty, though." He growled the last part. "Ya know I love 'em feisty."

"Are you talking _virgins_?" Chad sneered the word like it was dirt.

Rod shrugged his burly shoulders. "Could be one, I guess, man. Don't gotta be, though. I just tired of all da dirt and predictability, man. I want somethin' new."

Suddenly, Rage spoke up, like he'd just remembered the best thing. "You mean like that dog freak at the gas station two weeks ago?" he raised his eyebrows. Rod's brows were knitted in confusion, then came apart in realization. He chuckled, a little darkly.

"_Just_ like that, man, _just_ like that," he whispered, grinning from ear to ear. "Hot but resistant. Sexy but not lettin' everythin' hang out 24/7."

"Speakin' of her," Lawson grinned widely, "I heard somethin' through the old high school grape vine. I didn't get to see her, but I hope I'm gonna get to."

"Whatcha talking about, Lawson?" Rage asked. Maliciousness filled his eyes. He turned to Chad.

"Apparently this little animal rights sweetheart has enrolled at my old high school," he breathed. "At Chad's current personal hell, am I wrong?" Chad grinned. "And I heard something that little Chaddy has forgotten to let us in on." Both Rage and Rod turned and looked at Chad, smiling, ideas already forming in their mind, no doubt.

Not _good_ ideas.

"And, Chad," Lawson began mockingly, deepening his voice like a disappointed father, "I heard your grades are not doing well." They all chuckled. "And he got a _smoking_ tutor."

They all began nudging Chad, laughing, making noises and grunting suggestively.

"Why didn't you let us in on it, man?" Rage demanded, laughing, leaning up against the pillar with arms crossed.

"He doesn't want Rod over there tryin' to make a move on his _real woman_," the bikers' leader mocked. Chad rolled his eyes.

"She's yours," Rod said, lifting his hands in surrender before chuckling. "Gonna let the little one here get a score. Am I right, bro?"

Chad wagged his eyebrows, clicking his tongue. His peers grinned proudly.

"How you gonna do it?" Rage wanted to know, leaning in excitedly. "During one of your little 'tutoring sessions'?" The fire flickered, making Chad's facial expressions difficult to see, but identifiable nevertheless. He scratched the back of his neck, something that they all had grown to know meant that he had done something stupid.

"What did you _do_, Chad?" Lawson wanted to know, actually leaning forward himself. All three of them were leaning towards him, watching him for his response. Chad opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by a knowing leader. "You told her to leave you alone, didn't you?"

All three of them groaned and Chad rolled his blue eyes again.

"Idiot!" Rage raged. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, catching drool that Rage had just realized was on his face.

"Crap, man, why'd ya do that?" Rod said simulatiously with Rage's yell. Lawson just sat there, his hands folded together on his stomach, watching the scenario with dark observance.

"I was gonna have to be with her and study _every Wednesday_ for who knows how long!" Chad defended himself, throwing an empty silver can into the large fire. "Nobody's gonna tell me that I _have_ to do anything! I don't want to waste my time with pointless stuff like 'studying'! It's a bunch of shi -"

"We know that, Chad," Lawson said, his voice calm and suddenly more sober-sounding. His hands were still folded together, and he was still watching like a cat watching mice squabble: entertained, scrutinizing, curious, observant. He rested his right ankle on his left knee. "But you _do_ hear yourself, right? You could be with her every Wednesday. As in, _be_ with her every Wednesday." He grinned in a sick way.

Chad groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Yeah, I think of that _now_."

"Screwed up, man," Rod shook his head.

"I still see her every day, though!" he defended. "I barely ever go to class. Caught her in the hall the other day alone. Little Miss Perfect got there late." Chad grinned to himself, a flash in his eyes the others saw. They smiled as well. But then the brilliant blue darkened, becoming dangerous. Their smiles faded; everyone's except for Lawson's. It stayed. "A few complications got in the way," he muttered, his voice low with anger. "But it's gonna come through in the end. I know it will. I'm making sure of it."

Lawson's grin turned up coldly, proudly. "Good, Chad. Good."

When the dark blue lightened again, the other two felt it appropriate to speak again.

"You gonna reactivate your tutoring stuff, Chaddy?" Rage teased.

"Do I have a choice?" Chad smiled. "Sure I am. She's gonna be avoiding me already, being spooked and all."

"Lovin' the chase?" Rod looked off into the distance, thinking about his own chases he had loved so much.

"Yeah, man."

"Aw, is she _scared_?" Rage laughed, honestly thinking it was humorous.

"She's terrified," Chad growled happily. He sounded thrilled. He remembered her whimpering, the look in her eyes when he'd pin her. It was all too funny, really. Seeing her strain was hilarious and just plain entertaining.

"This'll be interesting, Chad," Lawson smirked. "I'm excited to see how all this works out. Tell me how she is."

"She's still got her V Card, don't she?" The baby-faced one asked the dumb question.

"Idiot!" Rage yelled yet again, directed at Rod this time. Rod glared at him then looked at Chad, brows raised. His tone was suddenly serious.

"You takin' a V Card, man?" he asked. He didn't sound disapproving, but his voice was void of any type of approval whatsoever. Chad suddenly felt… what was that, uncomfortable? Nah. He was just unsure. He shrugged, his shoulders feeling heavy under the weight of all of their stares. He glanced over to Lawson, who's gaunt face was eerie in the flickering firelight, unreadable. He wasn't helping Chad on this one. He wanted to hear an answer. But Rage's next comment may have influenced Chad's answer.

"You got any balls, Cooper?" One side of his dirty, alcohol-stained mouth pulled up. "You gonna go there?" He was cut off by a look from Lawson.

Chad chewed on the inside of his cheek, taking a swig of beer to stall for time. He had always known she was a virgin. After all, it was pretty obvious. But it had never really sunk in that he might… well… _take_ it. Especially if she wasn't willing, which she most likely wouldn't be.

Wait, didn't that qualify as…?

"Dude, relax, it's not like you're _raping_ her," Rage laughed loudly. His fiery hair was even brighter in the firelight. Chad looked up at them, not really saying anything but his face looking oddly _off_, which it barely ever did. Just like how Rage was the fiery type, Rod liked to be physical, and Lawson could intimidate anyone with a simple look, Chad pretty much never hesitated or backed down from something. So when he didn't immediately answer, they knew something was wrong.

"Are you chickening out, man?" Lawson asked in a disapproving tone, one that he knew would fire up his biking prodigy. Chad sat up straighter on his log, eyes fiery.

"No." It was stated as a fact.

"Then don't back down from this," he said immediately, commandingly, throwing a glass bottle full of beer into an unexpecting Chad's chest. He caught it roughly, grunting at the impact, rubbing the spot where it hit only for a moment. But _only_ for a moment. Lawson locked eyes with the youngest of the group, challengingly. Everything seemed to go quiet. Even the waves seemed to come to a standstill, afraid of the man himself. "I want to see this, dude. I want _you_ to have your first real…" he seemed to search for the word "… _frenzy_."

"I -"

"Don't _hesitate_ on this, Chad." Lawson said the 'H' word like it was scum. "Once you get little sweetheart to go at it with ya, I want to hear about it." His eyes drilled into Chad's with inhuman force. "I want to _know_ you did it. Without doubting you."

Sure, to some this might seem a little extreme, but this was the moment of truth. Chad was a Senior in high school, eighteen years old, reaching _that_ age. The one where he would become a permanent member of their little group. It was where he could prove himself to all of them, most importantly Lawson. It was almost an initiation. It's always subconsciously decided what it would be and challenged by the implied leader of the gang. The food chain came knocking, and Chad was about to answer that call and try and move up. Lawson had done it, and a year afterwards so did Rod and Rage. This was Chad's time to shine, and he wasn't backing down.

Without thinking it over, he stood up, not off balance like the rest of them. He stuck out his hand to a superior-looking Lawson, who looked down on him without any trace of humor. A malicious, calculating smile spread across his rugged features. Lawson grabbed Chad's hand with force, shaking it once firmly.

"We have a deal, Chaddy boy."


	10. Chad's Step One

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Chad's Step One**

Sonny put her pencil down, finishing the assignment Mr. Payne had just given her. She looked up to see all her other classmates socializing with each other, completely ignoring the one page report they were supposed to be writing. Sonny looked to them in disappointment. Were all teenagers in California like this? Do they all think school is a waste of time? Sure, there were people in Wisconsin like that, Sonny thought. But this much? History was a fascinating subject to Sonny. And Mr. Payne was a fascinating teacher. Sonny was always deeply interested in his stories of ancient times, while the other kids all had a glazed look in their eye, or were sleeping on their desk.

"Class!" Mr. Payne roared. Sonny had noticed that Mr. Payne did have a tendency to yell a lot, mostly due to his excitement about history. He was a history fanatic, and was member of the History Channel Club (even _she_ wasn't that dorky, though). Most of Sonny's classmates hated him, especially because of his yelling. It woke every sleeping student in the hallway. Now, all the children who were chatting with their friends or napping on their desk jolted up in surprise. Sonny covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Have _any _of you even _started _my assignment?" he asked with a frown.

Sonny raised her hand promptly, proud of her competence. About three other children wobbled their hand up, some that had not heard him and were simply raising it for no reason, and some who had started a sentence and then got sidetracked.

Mr. Payne shook his head. "You children should be ashamed of yourselves. I've given you an _hour, _and no one has finished it?"

"I have, Mr. Payne," Sonny said. All the teenagers turned to look at her and smirked. Someone even muttered "nerd" and "teacher's pet". Mr. Payne, however, smiled widely and pointed to her, proudly.

"See!" he shouted. "Miss Monroe has only been in my classroom for a few weeks and she has proven to be my best student!" He grinned at Sonny. "You should all take a page out of her book."

Suddenly, the bell rang. All the children immediately got up and tried to leave the classroom, but Mr. Payne stopped them.

"Wait!" he yelled. "All of you have homework. Finish my assignment. Whoever doesn't will have a detention with me tomorrow. Sonny," he called to her, smiling. "You have no homework. A reward for actually doing your work. Class dismissed."

Sonny's classmates glared at her in anger. Sonny smiled at them sheepishly. She couldn't help but be proud of herself, though. She had always been called and known as a teacher's pet. But that was who she was, and she loved it. Grabbing her books, she stood up from her desk and walked out of the room with her classmates.

"Sonny!" Rachel called, noticing her in the hallway. Sonny smiled and strode over to her friend.

"Rachel!" she greeted. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Rachel shrugged. "But Chad was being weird in class today." She closed her locker door with a _clang!_

Sonny's heart rate picked up double-time at the mention of his name. She hated talking or even _thinking_ about him, but she couldn't help but be curious. Rachel knew it was best not to mention him around Sonny, so if she did it must be somewhat important. "Uh, w-weird how?"

"Like…" Rachel seemed to search for words, watching Sonny cautiously. "He wasn't being his normal trouble-making, back-talking self. He was… pretty quiet. It's like he wasn't even there, it was so weird. The few times I worked up the nerve to glance over, he was out of it. Thinking or something"

"_Him_?" Sonny questioned. "Psh, p-probably about girls wearing nothing or close to it." She couldn't help but crinkle her nose in disgust.

"I know!" Rachel exclaimed, rolling her eyes in repulse as well. "I was thrown for a loop. But you're probably right. He must have _something_ on his mind."

"Maybe… m-maybe it's on which girl to mess around with today," Sonny suggested, staring at her feet.

Rachel laughed, trying to lighten the mood, and walked with Sonny to their next class.

* * *

Chad was stressed.

He hated to admit it - hated to _think_ of it, really - but he couldn't help it. This whole deal with Lawson he had agreed to was making him anxious. Stupid pressure.

Why did he agree?

The thought of making his friends proud - this would definitely make them proud - made him feel full of confidence. When he pictured a pleased Lawson - and _just_ a pleased Lawson - it seemed like a fairly simple task. Rod and Rage would have no problem with this. But Sonny? Really? _Her?_

How could he get _her_ to do _that_? It was pretty much unspeakable. Little Miss Hot Sonshine wouldn't even think of doing something so… _bad_, so undignified. She was probably one of those crazies who thought abstinence until marriage was the way to go. Which is what would make his friends even more proud: to get such a goody-goody to do that shows that he would definitely be good enough to _permanently _become one of them. Even though he hung out with them and was accepted, he was still only the youngest. He was eighteen now. He had something to prove. But the things _they've_ done...

_What has to be done, has to be done_, Chad thought. But how could he find an answer to all of this madness? There was no way she would let him do _anything_ to her, let alone play around. What was the solution to all of this? How could he make her crack without using force (which was what bothered him most about all of this, for some reason).

He had to make her trust him first. Make her think that he actually cared about her, and she would be more willing. But how could he use his charm without totally giving away what he was trying to do? If he brought out his seduction side, she would instantly catch on and the game would be over. Done. And he didn't even want to consider option two, because there _was no_ option three. If worse came to worst, he would…

He needed her trust.

Chad wondered. What could he do? Maybe be more chivalrous? 'Chivalry' was not his thing. That was for guys who were whipped! And if people saw him being _chivalrous_, his rep would be on the line. And he wouldn't let this bet run over into his life. Maybe just not pinning her against a wall and pulling on her skirt could be step one. That's all he was willing to do.

For now, at least.

* * *

"Hey, Sonny?" Rachel said. "I gotta go now, my mom's here. Talk to you later, kay?"

They were both outside at the pavilion, waiting with all the other kids who didn't drive to school today. Besides them were some freshmen and sophomores. Not many Seniors didn't have a car. Talk about embarrassing.

"Okay!" Sonny smiled. "Bye, Rachel! I'll see you tomorrow!"

She waved to Rachel who hopped in a white convertible and drove off. Sonny looked around, realizing she knew no one else. She felt a bit uncomfortable, twisting her hands in her lap. She felt a buzzing in her pocket, startling her momentarily, and read the message.

_From: Mom_

_Call back: 555-2919_

_Sonny! Sorry about this, but I have to make a meeting in five minutes so I can't pick you up. Get your friend Rachel to, kay? See you soon, honey. Love you._

Sonny's mouth fell open. Why couldn't she have checked this five minutes ago, when her friend Rachel left with her mom? She groaned, and slammed her cell phone to her head in frustration. She quickly pulled it away and whimpered in pain. Maybe that wasn't the smartest idea. But before she could call Rachel to plead for her to turn around and get her, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She whipped around and gasped.

"Hey," said the smiling face of Chad Dylan Cooper. Correction: the _smirking_ face of Chad Dylan Cooper.

He seemed even taller and even scarier today, clad in black and looking smugly down at her, no humor in his eyes. She frowned; no, scowled. Those blue eyes weren't dark, but she could say just one thing, make one move, and they would swell with darkness. She took a deep breath, the past echoing in her mind.

_"You heard about Bad Chad, did you? Well, you can't believe everything you hear. Not all of it's true." Chad seemed to reconsider, shrugging to himself as if it was no big deal. "Well, most of it is."_

_"I - I… um…" Sonny couldn't speak, her knees shaking (which were covered in skinny jeans today, thank goodness. Now he would have no skirt to pull her by like in her nightmares). "I need to get to c-class…"_

_"Oh, please, one little class?" he questioned, rolling his eyes and stepping closer to her, making her step a step backwards. "Nothing to worry about. You need to get out more. Have fun." Sonny's eyes widened as his proximity dwindled to about 2 inches, causing her to back against the lockers in an attempt to get away. "_We_ could have some fun…"_

_He came closer, placing a hand on the lockers by each side of her head, trapping her. His eyes showed dark hunger; her eyes showed nothing but intense fear._

Speechless from fear for what seemed like the billionth time, her mouth opened and closed in unintelligible words. He smirked, but then, out of the blue, his face was wiped completely blank of any smirk, smug look, or curl of the lips. He grimaced. But with further inspection, Sonny realized that it was supposed to be a smile. Like, a _real_ smile. He was trying to look genuine. She was instantly suspicious on top of being afraid. Not a good combination.

"So, uh, Mun - _Sonny_, do you… um… do you need a ride?" he raised his eyebrows as his grimace _slightly_ began to look a bit less forced. But by no means convincing.

"Uh… no, no," she shook her head vigorously, managing to stutter out her reply. Sonny used all of her willpower not to run back into the safety of the school or sink to the ground, begging for mercy. Pffft, that would be overreacting.

Which she was seriously considering resulting to.

"You're friend just drove off and your message said you needed to hitch a ride," he said persuasively, grimacing a larger 'smile'.

"No… no, I'm - I'm fine," Sonny shook her head again, becoming afraid that she might actually _have_ to accept. It was either go with him or stay at the school almost half of the night until her mother's meeting was over, and no telling what… or _who_ would come along then. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place here! "Whoa, how - how - were you _reading_ my message?"

He scoffed. "I'm not a stalker! You're just that obvious." After a moment of spontaneous thought, he tried to smile charmingly again, adding, "_Sonny_."

She bit her lip, not knowing what to say.

"What are your other options?" he demanded of her, sticking his hands in his dirty jean pockets and raising his eyebrows.

"I could just - I'll j-just call Rachel," Sonny said more to herself than to Chad, looking down at her iPhone and unlocking the screen, about to dial a number. Her cell phone's screen was suddenly covered by a hand, making her heart stop as her head snapped up to stare at him with question.

"You really want to bother her?" he breathed in a quiet voice, silky, making her nervous. "She's halfway home by now."

"She - she wouldn't mind," Sonny convinced herself, yanking the phone away from his covering hand and about to dial again. He pushed her cell dismissively down, to her dismay.

"How close do you live, babe - Sonny?" he asked, strained.

"About… about twenty minutes," she replied hesitantly, biting her lip once more. Avoidance plan: NOT WORKING!

"It won't take long," he tried to persuade her, lightly touching her elbow. Fright surged through her. It must have shown on Sonny's face, because after a smirk that lasted for a fraction of a second, his hand snapped to his side and he exhaled sharply. "I'm not going to _try_ anything, if that's what you're thinking."

What shocked her is that that particular sentence did not looked forced like his 'smile'. It didn't sound restrained like his 'persuading'. It came across as stating a fact. It was hard to doubt his tone. And unless he suddenly became an exquisite actor, it seemed like he was _telling the truth_. And Chad trying something was the whole reason why every fabric of her being screamed 'no'.

When she didn't answer, he repeated it. "Sonny, I am _not_ going to try anything. Swear." She looked up at him, searched his eyes with no fear when she saw that they were not dark, and finally uttered the word that sealed her life-influencing fate.

"Okay."

He grinned.

"So… _Sonny_," he said her name with extra vigor. "You ever ridden a motorcycle?"

* * *

**Guesses on what happened?**


	11. Changed Minds

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Changed Minds**

"Connie, I just _love_ your earrings today," Mrs. Taylor grinned, following her newest coworker to the elevator of the large skyscraper. The dark-haired woman turned around to her new friend, grinning bashfully.

"Well, thank you, Rosie," she shrugged, fingering the small blue stones. "They're nothing special."

The two women's heels clicked and clacked against the shimmering tile of the lobby. It buzzed with life, many women in business suits and men in classy ties walking around. Rosie Taylor smiled genuinely, replacing a hair pin in her red locks that had come undone. A small curl framed the right side of her face, giving her a child-like appearance and quality about her.

"Please, tell me where you got them," she begged, smiling. The golden elevator doors slid closed, the small space jolting as it began it's ascent upwards.

"It was at the _cutest_ little store in Middleton," Ms. Munroe gushed, seeming to shoo away an invisible fly.

"Was it just a local store?" Mrs. Taylor asked, frowning.

"Yes, it was. Sorry!"

"Oh, just my luck," she snapped, stomping her heeled foot. "But California is _filled_ with little stores and major names, is it not? Hopefully I'll be able to find something."

"I'm sure you would," Connie nodded encouragingly. "I'm sure with your figure it's pretty easy to find clothes, hmm?"

"It's not _difficult_," she said dismissively, quickly shrugging it off. "But, Connie, I simply _demand_ that you allow me to take you shopping this weekend."

"I don't know…" Ms. Munroe shrugged, biting her lip. "This is the first weekend that my daughter and I are both free since we moved here. We were actually planning on -"

"Oh, _please_, Connie, _please_!" she asked desperately, clasping her hands together, begging. "There will be _plenty_ of more weekends for you and Sonny to go out and have fun! Many of the stores are having sales this weekend and giving free perfume samples!"

"I don't know if I could do that, Rosie. We've been - did you say free samples?" she asked suddenly, her brows raising in enthusiasm out of nowhere.

"Yes. _Yes_, I did," she grinned persuasively. "You know you want to, Connie."

"It sounds great, but -"

"_No_, no buts! Come on!"

Ms. Munroe bit her lip and glanced back and forth between Mrs. Taylor and the floor. She heaved a long sigh.

"…Fine," she finally muttered. "But Sonny will be so disappointed…"

"Oh, she'll be fine," Rosie grinned, playfully hitting her new friend's shoulder. "I'm sure that -"

"Hello, ladies."

A drawling voice met their ears, bringing instant scowls to their faces. They put on superficial grins as a tall, thin, blonde woman stepped through the slowly opening doors.

"Hey, Leanne," they said at the same time, their voices drawling as well. But of course she didn't notice.

"How are you two?" she asked, not making eye contact at all, pushing one of the light-up buttons on the wall.

"Great."

"Fine."

They muttered their responses, sharing exasperated rolls of their eyes. Leanne was the one woman in the office that had to ruin their quiet tranquility of the ideal work area. She never really looked at anyone's face, only spoke to most people when it seemed unavoidable, and talked about others behind their backs. The mean girl of the hard life of The Office, one could suppose.

To all of their relief, the doors slid open to their floor. They all rushed out, Ms. Munroe and Miss Taylor turning right and Leanne turning left. All three of them breathed a sigh of relief at the escape.

"Are you inviting her to that cocktail party you're having soon?" Rosie asked, wincing. Her red lips pulled down in a scowl.

"I _have_ to," Connie tried to explain as Mrs. Taylor rolled her eyes and groaned as loudly as she could without receiving odd looks from other workers. To Rosie's aggravation, one of the office's phones began to ring it's dull tone and she hissed. Ms. Munroe sighed. "I'm inviting everyone from the office. It can't invite everyone _except_ her. That wouldn't be fair and it's completely immature."

"We _all_ need to become more in touch with our childlike side once in a while," she grinned largely.

"_No_, Rosie," she repeated for the umpteenth time. She sat down at her wooden desk, giving a sparing glance to her. "Everyone has some good in them _somewhere_ deep down, and I am determined to find it in -" she whispered "- Leanne."

"And you said you wonder where Sonny got her giving nature from," Miss Taylor rolled her eyes. "Do you _gotta_?"

"Yes, I '_gotta_'," she hissed under her breath. Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. "I am going to be an adult about this. I am _not_ going to just gossip about someone behind their back like we are a couple of teenagers!"

"Oh, pffft," Rosie scoffed, shrugging. She turned and walked to her desk next door, waving at Connie through the glass. Giving a persevering smile, Ms. Munroe waved back. She loved her new office, she really did, but it was full of drama just like high school.

* * *

Sonny was sitting, breathless, on the living room couch, staring at the TV screen but not really seeing anything. Her mind was still processing what had just happened.

And _she wasn't harmed!_

It was a miracle. She supposed it was at times like these when one knows there really is a God. Sonny, without thinking, reached to her hair and smoothed out some fly away pieces, still not able to breath nor speak. She had just ridden a motorcycle. A _motorcycle_. On the back of one, no less! And the driver was some crazed, hormonal, dangerous, eighteen year-old male biker! Who was supposed to be practically stalking her! And, when he did see her, she wasn't meant to come away unscathed!

_What_ _in the world_ was going on?

Wasn't Chad supposed to harass her? Or ride her out to some abandoned place where no one could hear her cries for help? Or… or… _something_ bad and scary? Weren't his eyes supposed to grow that shade of dark blue that made him look demonic the second she climbed on? Even when he swore he wouldn't try anything, it wasn't supposed to mean anything, was it? Wasn't it supposed to just be a well-disguised lie? Sonny was almost positive he had done his fair share of lying in his lifetime. Why was this any different?

Unless…

He wasn't _quite_ as bad as everyone made him out to be…

But no, that couldn't be right. The way he shoved her against the lockers days before drilled that truth into her head. But why did he have a sudden change of heart? Why did he actually _keep_ his promise? The only touching that took place was _her_ against _him_, and it was just wrapping her arms around his torso (not comfortably, she might add) so she wouldn't go flying off the back. At first, she was unsettled and shaking, but one of the few times he spoke to her, it was to ask if she was alright. She used the excuse that the wind was cold, but she was sure he didn't buy it.

They were in _California_, after all. Not Wisconsin.

Chad tried no funny business, no pulling over, no rude or perverted comments. In fact, he didn't say much of anything at all. Even more of a shock. Sonny didn't know Chad well the smallest bit, but even she could tell that it was uncharacteristic of him. But, to both of their surprises it seemed, he _did_ say _one _thing. And the pure shock of it almost _did_ make her fall off of the back.

"_Hey, uh, _Sonny_?" he asked as they neared a stoplight, the bike coming to a gentle stop. He was still enunciating her name with unnecessary vitality. It was the closest thing to flirting he had done the entire ride._

"_Um, yeah?" she replied, quietly, barely audible over the roaring engine of the motorcycle. He ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair, sighing heavily._

"_I was thinking…" he trailed off, and her heart began to pump wildly. He wasn't about to try and ask her out, was he? He promised he wouldn't try anything! But what came out of his mouth bewildered her more than that question would have. "Maybe… maybe I _could _use a little tutoring," he muttered. She could almost picture him wincing. "I was thinking about it, and I can ride my bike anytime I want. I do anyways. It's not like Wednesday is any special time or anything. And… uh…" he formulated a story on the spot, but naïve Sonny had no clue, "… my parents are really getting on my case about it." Sonny let out a breath she was holding._

"_Oh," was all she could say. All breath seemed to have left her lungs._

"_And it's annoying me like crap," he threw in for good measure, revving the gas and making her tense in uneasiness._

_A moment of silenced passed between them, awkward to Sonny but predictable for Chad. He hadn't expected anything different._

_Sonny was having an internal battle within herself. What was she to do? She couldn't refuse an opportunity like this; when someone like _him _wanted help! But at the same time, she knew accepting would be terribly unwise on her part, for her safety. But she couldn't just abandon him! He was like a short-tempered fighting dog who was being taken in by a shelter and given to a loving owner to change it's life. And _she_ was that caring owner. Changing other people's lives for the better was what she did, but… was she willing to take the risks that came along with helping this dangerous ticking time bomb? Rachel certainly wouldn't approve, and she's known Chad for _much_ longer than Sonny had. She'd watched the puppy make the transformation from innocent puppy to rabid pit-bull. But this was Sonny's opportunity to change that._

_Deciding to suck it up, Sonny inhaled shakily and uttered the fateful words._

"_Alright. I'll help."_

_But, for her own sanity and fear she was about to over-analyze, she decided to ignore the smirk in his voice when he grinned, "Fantastic."_

Did she make the right choice? She certainly hoped so. Because he was coming over next Wednesday night for their first little… session. What would her mother think when she saw him? What would she think when she saw what transportation he used to arrive? The _motorcycle_. What would Ms. Munroe say when she saw his rough leather jacket, his signature smirk, the flash in his eyes? The thought of the look on her face was enough to make Sonny gulp.

Her life was so dramatic at the moment, Sonny was halfway expecting for a long-lost half sister to come bursting through the door, telling her that her mother ran away to be with some one-legged tennis player. And then her unknown uncle, a tried felon, came running in telling her that Rachel, who was really a vampire, had gotten burned at the stake by Chad and his buddies. Insane, huh?

Taking a deep, stress-filled sigh, Sonny turned on the television for a distraction.

_What_ had she gotten herself into?

* * *

"Chad!" Lawson roared over his cellphone. "You're an _idiot_!"

Chad looked at his phone in disbelief, his blue eyes dark with disappointment. "How? I took her for a ride on the bike, which she _completely_ agreed to! Which means she trusts me, at least a little! And she was okay with me doing tutoring with her! It was like she didn't know who I _was_!"

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, Chad," Lawson rolled his eyes. "But did she seem _interested_ in you, at _all_?" He sounded torn over the phone.

Chad thought about how Sonny acted the other day on the motorcycle. He had seen fear in her eyes, which had transformed into expectancy, to curiosity, and finally to wonder. What did that mean?

"Well..." Chad replied. "Not..._exactly_. But I'm gonna get there, man."

"You gotta step up your game, bro! Don't act like big and bad Chad, a'ight?" Lawson demanded.

"But I wasn't!" Chad contradicted.

"Well, you gotta act like _something_, man! C'mon, you gotta be able to tell what kind of guy Miss Goody Goody would like!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, gripping his phone a little tighter. Chad crossed his arms, unhappy, as he leaned against his bike that was parked on the side of the road. "Are you telling me that I'm gonna have to go through a freaking 'makeover', man?"

"No, not completely," his leader responded, sounding nonchalant. "I'm not gonna make you put on a dorky sweatervest or anything like that. Chill."

"Good," Chad snarled, "because I'm not changing into Urkle!"

"Act like those... those weird butt-kissers over at SDA."

"_What?_ No, I am _not_ -"

"Do you wanna be one of us or not?" Lawson growled, cutting him off in a final tone.

Chad crinkled his nose in disgust. "But they're so..." he searched for a word to describe them, "_decent._"

"Well, don't you think she'll like that?" he suggested.

"Do I have to act like those nerds over at the private school? Can't I just settle for not making hot jokes every five seconds? And I'll try not to eye her. Isn't that good enough?"

"Fine," Lawson sighed. "But at least try to be as _good_, as smart, as _clean_, as _decent_ as those Preppies to her, a'ight?"

Chad snorted, and his friend did on the other side of line as well.

"Yeah, right."

"I know it won't be easy, dude. But either try to get on her good side, or you'll have to _make_ her like you," he said quietly, a little suspiciously. But Chad didn't allow it to phase him. He wasn't going down that road.

"Gotcha, man."

* * *

"_What_?" Rachel sputtered out in disbelief.

"Chad took me home on his motorcycle," Sonny repeated, still trying to believe it herself.

"_Chad_...took you _home_...on his _motorcycle_?"

Sonny was beginning to feel more and more stupid. Maybe it _wasn't_ the best choice.

* * *

**Push the _beautiful_ little button! Or Chad will come find you!**

**OMG, that was sooo creeper-ish. Sorry. Well, if that made you laugh at all, review! Heehee... please?**


	12. Tutoring Session 1

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Congrats to Alexa and I's 100th reviewer... *drum roll* ... ****agent-mazda****! Thank you guys for getting us to reach 100 reviews with the story only, like, somewhere around halfway over! It's amazing, thanks so much!**

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**Chapter 11: Tutoring Session 1**

Sonny took a deep breath, staring at her reflection in the elaborate mirror in the front foyer of her home. It was Wednesday. _Wednesday_. It was odd how the meaning of that word had changed so much within a simple conversation that took place a week before. She stared at her wavy hair, her black cocktail dress, her makeup, and the uneasiness in her own brown eyes. Thinking about it, she really wasn't sure whether or not she was happy about her mother's cocktail party being on the same night as her first… _meeting_ with Chad.

On the bright side: there were witnesses. Everywhere. A house-full of women wearing sharp stiletto heels that could easily be used for self-defense if necessary. But he wouldn't try anything with all of these people around, would he? The party hadn't even started yet and she was starting to doubt herself and the ones that were going to be around her. Bringing her to…

The dark side: Would her mother be too busy? Would _everyone_ be too preoccupied to even function as a witness? They'd all be caught up their own business, not constantly watching their new coworker's daughter and her tall and dark tutoree that were hovering around. They could care less, Sonny was sure. They wouldn't pay her an inkling bit of attention.

Even the bright side ended up being clouded.

Yay.

She looked over the way the satin dress shaped her body, hugging her curves but not showing any inappropriate amount of skin anywhere. The inch-long straps flowed over both of her shoulders, the neck showing only the smallest part of her chest possible. Sonny picked out the dress herself. She didn't want to look like a nun, but she certainly wasn't going all out. A subtle rhinestone necklace, shaped like the bottom half of a star, cascaded around her collarbone. Her eyes were smoky, with a light color on her lips. Sonny wore heels, but nothing of deadly height.

To be honest, even though this dress didn't show anything it shouldn't, she still didn't feel comfortable wearing it in front of him. In fact, anything with sleeves shorter than quarter length and bottoms above the knee she didn't feel comfortable wearing in front of Chad. Thinking of the perverted smile pulling up on the side of his lips was enough to make her want to go upstairs and cover herself in fifty huge, unflattering bathrobes.

But life wasn't that easy, was it?

Almost making her jump, Ms. Munroe came up behind Sonny and gave her a hug, looking at her in the mirror. She smiled nervously.

"You look beautiful, sweetie," she smiled, patting her daughter's shoulder. "Are you ready to meet all of my friends?"

"Uh huh," Sonny grinned half-heartedly.

"Isn't your little rebel tutoree coming over, too?" she asked, frowning slightly. Sonny tried to prevent her face from contorting to terror.

"Uh huh."

"Well then, I guess we'll both be meeting new people tonight, huh?" Ms. Munroe asked, resting her chin on Sonny's shoulder.

"Uh huh." Her smile was still forced. Suddenly, her mother's eyes widened and she scowled. She gasped loudly, leaving Sonny's side in a flash. "Whoa, Mom, what's wrong?"

Ms. Munroe ran to the kitchen as fast as she could in her shoes, muttering to herself unhappily. Sonny followed suit, feeling panicky as well.

"I forgot some of the horderves!" she squealed, fanning her face as she shot around the kitchen, opening cabinets at an inhuman pace and slamming them closed, throwing things on the counter and whipping out silverware. Sonny felt disoriented just watching.

"Mom… Mom!" she called to her incoherent mother. Ms. Munroe continued to dart around, not seeming to hear anything. "_Mom_!"

"W-what?" she managed to get out, focused completely on dicing tomatoes.

"Do you _have_ to have those? It'll be okay if you -"

"No, it's not okay, Sonny! All of my coworkers are coming over and what will it look like if I run out of food? Especially in front of Leanne! Oh, God…"

"Wait, what? Who's Leanne?"

"That's - that's not important," she ordered suddenly, tossing open the fridge door and digging through it. "Just -"

"Can I help with anything?"

"I don't -"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, causing all of the noise in the house to quiet. Both Ms. Munroe and Sonny were frozen where they were, not daring to breathe. Both of their hearts pounded, but it was for completely different reasons. Her mother came back to her senses first.

"Who -"

"Sonny, _get the door_!" she ordered in a frantic whisper, shooing her towards the foyer with her hand. "Oh no, I'm not ready! Oh no, oh no… what will I do? I have to work faster!" Her hands seemed to speed up even more (somehow) and she was a blur as she flashed around the room at impossible speed. Sonny still wasn't within a sane mindset, so Ms. Munroe had to practically scream at her to get any response out of her. "SONNY!"

"What? What?" Sonny jumped, her eyes focusing again.

"_The door_! Get it!"

"What?"

"Someone is at _the door_! Get the freakin' door, Sonny!"

"_Oh_!"

Sonny backed out of the room as fast as she could, stumbling while exiting. Ms. Munroe was watching exasperatedly, making Sonny giggle embarrassedly as she rushed to the front door. She could see a silhouette through the glass, but it was blurred by the cut glass. It was black, and quite large. Too large to be a woman, she was sure. And that's when her heart decided to start painfully pounding, constricting her throat. She had a bad feeling.

"I - I don't think it's a coworker," Sonny called to her mother, her palms sweating. She could have sworn she heard her mother's sigh of relief from across the hall.

"Oh, well, let them in! Don't be rude!"

For the first time in her life, Sonny _wanted_ to be rude. Rude people didn't let others into their houses. Well, she wanted to be incorrigible. Because incorrigible people locked others out of their homes. And that's what she wanted to do. _So badly_.

Reaching to the shining brass knob, Sonny gulped. Last minute, she released it and rushed back to the mirror, fluffing her hair and pulling up the chest of her dress for good measure. She ran back to the door, taking a deep breath and pasting a smile on her face, slowly pulling open the door.

There Chad stood, in his regular jeans and t-shirt with long-sleeved leather jacket covering. His hands were in his pockets coolly, his eyes unexpecting and quite bored looking. He looked up from the ground where he had been previously staring, exasperated at the hold up. But on the way up, his blue eyes widened with every inch he took in. The first thing to grab his attention were the strap heels. Then he saw the tan, smooth legs. His view was covered by the bottom of a black dress about two inches above her knee, then showed her curves all the way up. Hips, stomach, chest, then a smiling face.

Chad's instant interpretation was that she was trying to torture him. He knew she knew nothing about what he had to do, but the way she was dressed with that smile taunted him. This wasn't going to be easy, was it? When his eyes finally left her body, they landed on her face again. The smile was gone and replaced by a grimace, surrounded by a furious blush. Realizing what he was doing (he usually wouldn't care, but he _has_ to now), he tried to offer an innocent smile, but he was pretty sure it wasn't too convincing.

"Hi," he finally said, one side of his mouth twisting up involuntarily. Sonny's hand gripped the knob tightly, the smooth metal feeling slippery under her sweaty palms. "You, uh… your… um… was I supposed to wear something different?" Chad finally spoke, quietly, trying to sound gentle and non-suggestive. He motioned to his ensemble. Or lack of one, really.

"Oh, no," Sonny shook her head, smiling nervously. "My mom is, um, having people over from her office… so, I have to look nice to meet them." She actually felt proud that she managed to say a sentence without stuttering. Sonny hoped she didn't jinx it.

"Ah," he said simply, his hands still in his pockets. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, looking around everywhere except at her. Chad made sure he looked everywhere _but_ where he _wanted_ to look. He couldn't look… he couldn't look… he _could not_ _look_…

Sonny opened the door wider and stepped back, motioning with a sweeping gesture. "You can, uh, come in if you want."

Suddenly, they both jumped at rapid, angry-sounding barks. Lucky came bounding in from the living room, baring his jaws and growling madly. Low and dangerous rumbles errupted from deep in his chest as he stared at Chad challengingly, daring him to come in. Sonny swooped down and scooped him up, whispering comforts in his ear and struggling to hold his shaking figure. Chad was staring at the dog with obvious dislike, his face as challenging as Lucky's.

"You kept_ it_?" he spat, looking at the creature like it was something he found on the bottom of his heavy shoe.

"Yes!" Sonny said without a second thought, hugging the animal to her chest and kissing his head. Lucky calmed slightly, but _only_ slightly. Chad scowled disdainfully.

"Does that vermin not get in the way?"

Sonny pursed her lips and simply decided not to reply, turning on her heel and walking to the back of the house to let the angry dog outside. She needed to be the bigger person, because if this reflected how the rest of the session was going to go, than she needed to cut the problem in the bud. Sonny returned and sighed, deciding to forget this incident.

"Do you, uh, want to come in _now_?" she questioned shyly, tucking hair behind her ear.

"Oh. Alright." Chad stepped in, looking around. It was a nice place. Nothing like he was used to having, though. He kept it to himself, however. But as she led him towards the kitchen, he couldn't resist. Her back was turned and she would have no idea.

He looked at her butt.

And it made all of this seem that much more worth it.

He was jolted from his thoughts when they stopped in a doorway and he heard multiple clangs and other loud noises. He watched as a woman with short, dark hair scurried around the kitchen, rushing around so much that he felt tired just watching her.

"Mom?" Sonny asked. The woman continued like no one was there. "Mom? Ma… Mom! _Mom_!" The woman finally stopped when Sonny's shout rang through the air. Her hair was slightly disheveled when her head snapped up, looking first at Sonny then her eyes slowly drifting to Chad. She gradually stood up straighter, her face expressionless but a curious glint in her eye.

"Oh, so… are you…?"

"Chad," he answered, feeling a little odd under her stare. She walked closer, looking him over. After a moment of thought, she stuck out her hand. Chad took it and shook it once, smiling in a very small way. He didn't trust himself to try a full-fledged one. It would surely look too fake. If he wanted to spend time with Sonny, he had to get permission from the parental.

"I'm Connie," she said, quietly for some reason. She was still watching him, the look in her eyes unreadable. "Sonny's mother. It's nice to meet you."

"Same," he replied. They released hands, Ms. Munroe stepping back and standing to her full height again. She was watching them, but mostly Chad.

"Uh, Mom?" Sonny cut in. "Are you almost done?"

With a clash of plates, Ms. Munroe was back to flashing around the kitchen, out of breath. "Oh, gosh, no I'm not! Ugh, I have to get this done!"

"Do you need me to help?"

"No, no, Sonny, I'll be fine."

"I think you could use some -"

"_No_, I'm fine, sweetie," she insisted, opening a bag of nearby crackers. Crumbs went everywhere and she groaned. "I've got it, but I just need to get some things done."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive, honey. I'm actually just going to need you to… stay out of the way if you don't mind," her mother sighed. She finally stopped what she was doing and turned around, leaning on the counter and running a hand through her hair. Ms. Munroe sighed again. "I'll call you down before the party's over so I can introduce you, but until then I don't want to interrupt you two." Sonny offered an uneasy smile. "Why don't you two just go up to your room, Sonny?"

Chad's heart pounded in pleasure, but Sonny was glowering.

"Uh, can we not - can we not just stay down here?" Sonny begged.

"The house will be packed enough as it is," her mother answered apologetically, biting her lip while sprinkling salt on her horderves. She followed suit with pepper. "I'm just trying to keep it as clear in here as possible. Just go up to your room for now. I'll call you down when I want to introduce you to my friends."

Sonny was frozen in horror. Her mom studied her face and her brows rose.

"Uh…"

"Is that a problem?" she asked.

Sonny wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't like out of nowhere she could express to Ms. Munroe her fears. What was she supposed to say? 'No, Mom, we can't! I'm scared Chad might try something up there when we are alone!' Yeah, right. Not happening.

So, not knowing what her other options were, Sonny decided to bore her reasonless punishment in silence. It wasn't like they were the only ones in the house after all. If necessary, she could just scream downstairs for help or something. But he wouldn't be stupid enough to try something at her own house, would he? If he didn't think it smart to do something at the school, surely territory like this would scare him off, wouldn't it?

She would like to think so.

But that didn't make her heart stop beating at an unhealthy pace. With him, she was pretty sure it would always be that way. Uttering the quietest whimper possible, Sonny turned and led Chad up the stairs, wincing all the while. She should have made him go up first. He was probably getting a _lovely_ view right about now. She could almost feel his eyes burning into her, but whether it was real or her imagination, she wasn't sure.

"So, uh, this is my room," Sonny said uneasily, pushing open her door and ushering him inside. He stopped right beside the door, waiting for her to step inside as well. She bit her lip as she walked in, clasping her hands together on her way to her vanity. She took a seat on the elaborate stool, pulling open a drawer and grabbing a couple of paper books. She was about to open it and find the correct section, but a sound made her freeze.

It was the sound like, _click!_

The noise of a door shutting.

She whipped around, and there stood Chad, standing there innocently with a smirk on his face. She was out of her stool and squeezing past him in a flash, reopening the door with haste. Sonny turned to him, offering perhaps the most forced smile she had ever tried.

"I'm - I, um - _we're_ not allowed to shut the door," Sonny told him, her hand jittering on the knob.

"Why not?" he asked innocently, raising his eyebrows with a small smile of complete and utter innocence. Sonny's mouth down-turned into a scowl, slightly aggravated. A flaming blush crept across her cheeks.

"You know," she stuttered, motioning between them. "I'm just… not allowed to with… with…"

"A guy in your room," he finished for her, grinning largely. Sonny muttered underneath her breath unintelligibly, flushing madly as she fumbled with the book. Chad smiled, unable to keep it away from his face. He enjoyed making her uncomfortable. It was hysterical seeing her reaction.

"Uh, so, you need help in English, right?" Sonny clarified, flustered, sitting back down on her stool as he took a seat on the edge of her bed, glancing around.

"Yeah," he said uninterestedly, resting his elbows on his knees and glancing up at her.

She continued to flip pages, still blushing madly, taking twice as long as she normally would. His lips turned up smugly.

"Okay, so, um, what do you have problems with the most?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the page. "Literature? Grammar? Usage?"

"Sure," he answered, looking at the floor.

"Which one, Chad?" Sonny asked, her blush fading. Her left brow rose.

"Uh, the fourth one," Chad fidgeted with his jacket sleeve, not paying much attention.

"There _was_ no '_fourth one_'," she frowned. "Do you even show up in English class?"

Chad shrugged. "Once or twice."

"Well, there's your problem," Sonny concluded, shutting the book loudly. The sound made him glance up from the hardwood floor. "You need to _show up to class_." She spoke to him like a small, parentless child. She suddenly seemed less timid and more animated. "Education is a wonderful thing, Chad! It may seem like a pain, but the better you do it and the faster you get it done, the better of a reward you get!"

"Reward?" Chad repeated, making sure he heard correctly.

"Yes, it's a great reward," she nodded, looking dreamily into space. "The feeling of accomplishment you get when your work is handed back and it reads, _A+_ _great job!_, it makes you just… just… swell with pride!"

Chad was looking at her as if she had just grown a second head.

"What the _hell_?" he asked incredulously, both his eyes and hers wide.

"Watch - watch your language," Sonny scolded meekly, biting her lip afterwards. He scoffed. But just when he was about to respond, he thought better of it. He remembered:

_"Do I have to act like those nerds over at the private school? Can't I just settle for not making hot jokes every five seconds? And I'll try not to eye her. Isn't that good enough?"_

_"Fine," Lawson sighed. "But at least try to be as good, as smart, as clean, as decent as those Preppies to her, a'ight?"_

Chad sighed, not able to believe he was really saying what he was about to utter. He hardly _ever_ said this word, and to a girl, no less.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," she muttered. "So, uh, I guess I'll just start from the beginning." She looked a little exasperated as she opened to the first page. "Well, according to this, we need to start with the basics of literature. Like, the elements, you know? It's basically reviewing 9th grade stuff, you know? Like symbolist stuff, alliteration, allusions, reference…"

Chad began to tune out, just watching her through his lashes as she read from the book. Her legs were crossed, the paperback book resting on her knee, causing her dress to ride up just slightly, revealing a little more skin. Her wavy hair fell to one side of her face, revealing her nearly bare, smooth-looking shoulder. Looking down at the paper, her thick lashes were in full view, black and luscious with smoky eye shadow. Her lips were full and shining. This tutoring was _not_ going to go well, was it? As far as the actual _tutoring_ went, he was going to get nothing out of this. You know what he needed? A freakin' ugly guy is what he needed. Absolutely no distractions.

But of course he'd just leave then and ditch.

He wasn't here for the tutoring, though. He was here for the virgin hotty. Who was sitting there… totally alone and unarmed in any way whatsoever… that door just a push away from being closed…

_Stop it, Chad, stop it!_ he ordered himself, shaking his head and forcing himself to stare at the ground. That couldn't happen. He couldn't do it. He wasn't going to _make_ her do anything. While doing it it'd be great, but afterwards… that was a different story. Guilt overwhelming him for the rest of his life. Chad couldn't deal with that. He wasn't superman.

"Chad? Chad? Are you even listening to me?"

But what if he told her about what his friends were making him do? She seemed like an understanding person… but surely she would just run away in fear. If he even _looked_ at her funny she would wince. Coming clean was not an option.

"Chad? _Chad_?"

He felt a snapping in front of his face. He suddenly snapped back into reality with eyes wide.

"Yeah? Yeah, what?"

Sonny's brows were raised, looking a little worried. "Are you okay? You look a little… out of it."

"Uh, I'm just… thinking…" he replied, staring at his hands. He didn't trust himself to look at her. Resistance was something that was harder than it sounded, and it _sounded_ hard, so it was nearly impossible.

Sonny bit her lip before speaking. She seemed to have to debate on whether or not to ask. "Um… penny for your thoughts?"

He looked up, feeling like his self control was better. "Uh…" How could he phrase this? "I… I don't want you to be afraid of me," Chad breathed honestly. Sonny sat up straighter, lips pursing. She was feeling uncomfortable again. "I know that… I don't have the best rep out there. And I haven't exactly been… _good_ to you." He instantly thought of when they were - well, _he_ - was interrupted in the hallway. "I just want you… to, uh, know that."

Sonny was frozen awkwardly, slowly re-shutting the tutoring book, her mouth forming words. She smiled a small grin. "I'm - I'm not scared of you, Chad." Lie.

"Yes, you are," he shook his head. "I know you are. You and half of the school. And I honestly wasn't expecting any different."

Sonny didn't respond, biting her lip in an almost apologetic way.

"It's just…" Sonny stuttered, twisting her hands together, "I'm new. I barely know anyone. I don't know who's word I can take and who's I shouldn't. And I heard that… yours I can't. But I don't know if the person who told me not to trust you is trustworthy. But - but I think they are. And just… _watching_ you, it kind of… speaks for itself."

_That's completely true_, he thought. "That's not completely true."

Sonny frowned, more to herself, though. "I don't know…"

Chad tried to force a smile again. "If we are going to make _this_," he motioned in between them "work, then we need to have _some_ form of trust."

Sonny was looking terribly uncomfortable, gripping the book's edge. She licked her lips (he hated himself for watching so intently) and sighed. "I don't know if I can," she whispered honestly.

Chad shrugged. "I can't blame you, I guess."

"I -"

"_Sonny!_" the cry broke through their conversation, her mother running through the doorway of her room. "Come on, sweetie! My friend Rosie is downstairs. I want you to meet her!" She glanced back and forth between the two of them, not smiling but not frowning. "Did, I, um, _interrupt_ anything?"

"No," Sonny shook her head quickly, standing up and straightening out her dress. She followed her mother out of the door. Ms. Munroe stuck her head back in apologetically.

"Just stay in here for now," she grinned. "It'll only be a minute."

Chad nodded and glanced around her room. This was going to be a long day.

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**Hey, everyone! How are you liking it?**

**I have a proposition for all of you lovely, lovely readers. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in making me an EPIC banner for this story? I really would love to make one myself, but I don't have the right program and the free trials won't download right on my computer. I was thinking... using a nice, innocent picture of Sonny, a motorcycle, and Chad in his leather jacket he wore in "You've Got Fanmail"? Well? PM me or tell me in your reviews, please!**


	13. Not So Great Life

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

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**Chapter 12: Not So Great Life**

Sonny followed her mother down the seemingly-wedged stairs of her home, a little enthusiastic to escape the confines of her bedroom. Her mind was racing in all directions, wondering what he meant and also excited about meeting her mother's coworkers. Chad didn't seem like the emotional type or the kind that would express _anything_ to her at all, so what was that? He didn't 'want her to be afraid of him'. That was the statement of the year. It certainly didn't seem like he was making an effort at any point to be gentle. With the exception of maybe that afternoon on his motorcycle (one that her mother would never ever know about), he had always tried _something_.

Seriously, it wasn't like she could just _choose_ to forget that day in the hallway. It had scared the crap out of her! But she needed to stop wondering what his intentions were on focus on what was at hand: making a good impression with her mother's new peers. Sonny could simply tell by the way her mother's eyes lit up and the way she smiled that she was going to brag about her and show off her 'gorgeous' daughter.

"Honey?" her mom's voice snapped her out of her daze. She looked up to meet Ms. Munroe's anxious face. "Are you ready to meet my friends?" They were standing in the doorway of the living room/parlor, the buzz of conversation surrounding them. Sonny glanced at the women nearest her, three people that were slender and tall. She pointed towards them questioningly, brows raised. Her mother shook her head with eyes wide, directing her towards a red-headed woman with loose curls.

"Rosie," she smiled, "this is my daughter. Sonny."

The woman named Rosie grinned politely, extending her hand in Sonny's direction. "Hello, there. Rosie." Sonny took her hand and shook it gently. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," she grinned.

"Your mother talks about you _a lot_ at work," Rosie smirked. Ms. Munroe shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "She thinks the world of you. You know, not many teenage girls your age act as responsibly as you do."

"I try," Sonny bit her lip, flattered. Her cheeks became the lightest shade of pink.

"So, how are you liking California?" she asked, her eyebrows raising as she sipped a cocktail. "I realize it's a lot different than Wisconsin."

"Very," she replied, nodding vigorously. Her mind instantly flashed to Chad and his little gang. "But… I, uh, love the beaches." Rosie's smile remained curious and genuine.

"So, do you have your eye on anything?"

Sonny's brows pulled together in confusion, her face gaining another shade of pink. "Uh, excuse me?"

Rosie's face was still kind, but smug now. "You know, any hot California guys?"

"Rosie!" her mother scolded, eyes wide.

"No, relax, Connie! I know what teenage girls look for when they get here. I was one at one point, too, ya know." Her smirk was more pronounced now. "So, anyone caught your eye?"

"Well, this boy she's tutoring is -"

"Nu uh, Mom!" Sonny denied before she could stop herself. Ms. Munroe looked questioning.

"You told me the other day that you thought he was hunky!"

"Well!" Sonny stammered, blushing madly. She couldn't get caught lying, but at the same time she couldn't let the lie that she had told her mother get around. If the right (really, _wrong_) people heard it… well, it wouldn't be good for her. Not at all. "I don't… well, he isn't _bad looking_, Mom, but I don't _have feelings_ for him or anything!"

"You were talking about how you thought his smirk was 'hot' and his eyes were this crazy shade of blue!"

"Well… yeah, but I _don't_ like him like that!" Her mind turned to horrified mush at the thought of it.

"It's fine, Sonny," Rosie smiled, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"No, no," Sonny spluttered. "He… just isn't my type. At all."

"Yeah, I kind of picked that up when I met him," Ms. Munroe smiled. "I just thought you might have been going for someone a little more… _different_ than what you were used to going for…"

"Naw, no, no, not at all," she denied repeatedly. _He is going for me_, Sonny thought, heart drooping.

"He _is_ kind of hunky though," Ms. Munroe smiled meekly at Rosie. Sonny smacked her mother's arm, disgusted. "Relax! I don't mean it like I'm some cougar!"

Rosie laughed warmly. "What's his name, Sonny?"

"But I don't -"

"I know you don't _like_ him. But what's his name?"

"Chad," Sonny replied uncomfortably, finding an excuse not to speak further by grabbing a decorated cracker and popping it into her mouth, chewing slowly. She wiped a crumb from the corner of her lips.

"Blue eyes and blonde hair?" Rosie suddenly asked quickly, eyes as wide as saucers and leaning forward. Both Ms. Munroe and Sonny were panicked by her sudden expression.

"Um… yes…"

"Do you know a last name?"

"I'm not completely sure," Sonny shrugged feebly, twitching under her mother's friend's gaze. "I want to say Cooper."

Rosie turned to Ms. Munroe in a flash, looking completely shocked. Her hands almost fanned her face like an excited teenage girl who had top-of-the-line gossip.

"Connie, _Chad Cooper_!" she whispered in a strained voice, leaning in and biting her bottom lip. Her mother didn't reply, brows raised and fists clenched in anticipation. "Chad _Cooper_!"

"What about him?" Connie demanded.

"Chad Cooper!" Rosie hissed, as if it was obvious, shaking her friend's shoulder. "_Cooper_! That's Leanne's I'm-sure-soon-to-be step son!" Ms. Munroe's jaw touched the floor. Sonny, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on.

"Are you serious?" her mother breathed, actually _fanning_ her face. "_Leanne_? Really?"

"Really!" Rosie gushed. "Her boyfriend is Stanford Cooper, CEO of that corporation across the street!"

"Oh. My. God."

"Mom, what's going on? Is Leanne that woman you mentioned earlier?" Sonny asked, coming between them slightly, curiously. Was there something about this biker that she maybe didn't know?

"She's a… um, woman that works with us," Connie told Sonny quickly, dismissively, turning back to her best friend Rosie.

"Give her more of description than that!" Rosie sighed exasperatedly. She turned to Sonny. "She's the bitch of the office."

"_Rosie_!"

"She'll hear worse language than that at the school she goes to, Connie. Hold your horses." She rolled her eyes and grinned. "Now, Sonny, Leanne is one of those people who are nice to your face when she feels like it and then stabs you in the back when you are least expecting it."

"Aw, I hate people like that," said Sonny, frowning.

"She'd know," Ms. Munroe grimaced, shaking her head sadly.

Rosie suddenly seemed less friendly, staring off at nothing in particular with a scowl of what looked like pure hatred.

"Did I mention she's a slut, too?" she scowled a deadly scowl. Her eyes became a little misty, staring at something no one else could see. "If you hate people like that, Sonny, then prepare to want to kill her." Her knuckles became white as she clenched the glass in her hand. "It started when I came home one day. I remember it so clearly. I probably always will." Rosie sighed and tucked a dark red curl behind her ear, revealing a sparkling earring. It was beautiful. "I had a boyfriend named Daren. He was, um… just fantastic. He was so sweet and _kind_ and… he was handsome. He had this prince-like brown hair, charming smile and squared jaw… the smallest of a beard on his chin… brown eyes… he was gorgeous." Connie smiled sadly and Sonny continued to listen, ears perked. "We had been dating for about a year and a half, and I was so happy. Sure, we had had our ups and downs, but so does every relationship, and we got through them.

"One night at dinner, out of nowhere, he looked me _straight_ in the eye and told me he loved me. He was completely honest with me, right there on the spot, that he was very interested in spending the rest of his life with me. So, after that, he got down on one knee and pulled a little black box out of his pocket. We were in the middle of the restaurant, people were watching, but I didn't care." She smiled dreamily. "I was in heaven. I couldn't feel my body. I was just so happy and I couldn't say yes fast enough. So, then, I had my fiancé. _My_ fiancé." The smile faded and was replaced by a frown full of hurt. "So, we had moved in together, the wedding less than two months away, and we had bought this beautiful little house about a block away from the beach. I remember that I fell in love with it the second I saw it, and when he saw that I loved it, Daren was more than willing to go for it. We had lived there for about a month, and our boxes were close to being emptied, and I came home from work one day. I didn't know where Daren was, so I called his cell phone. I didn't get an answer. Panicking a little bit, I decided to call my best friend, Leanne.

"For a fraction of a second, I thought I heard a couple of rings come from the back of the house. I was sure I must be crazy, but I went and investigated." Her green eyes became a shade darker. Moisture came to them. "I went to check our bedroom… and, uh…" she wiped her eye quickly and sniffed. "I found my best friend all over my fiancé. They were on the verge of…"

Sonny's eyes were wide apologetically, certain she just heard her heart break. Rosie shook her head and bit her lip, persevering. She gave a watery smile. "It was three years ago. I'm surprised she even has the lady balls to talk to me. He left me for her and they lasted less than two months before she dumped him. Ever since then she's been with Mr. Cooper. I pity him."

"I pity_ her_," Sonny said comfortingly, placing a comforting hand on Rosie's arm. She smiled thankfully.

"Thank you, Sonny," Rosie took a deep breath, sighing. "You're a good person. Just like your mom." Mother and daughter smiled at the scarred woman, both gaining a deeper dislike for Leanne. A new hatred for Sonny, and a more intense one for Connie. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I need to, um, use the restroom." She walked past them quickly, wiping at her eyes as she scurried through the crowds.

"That's so horrible," Sonny shook her head, brows knitted as she ran a hand through her hair.

"I know. Leanne is a…"

"Bad person."

"That's putting it mildly."

"How could anyone do something like that? That is totally heartless."

"There are some people in this world that are heartless, sweetie," her mother shrugged, shaking her head as well, taking a long swig from her drink. "We are just going to mingle a bit and then I'll let you go back upstairs to that boy who is probably about to get the worst mother possible."

"Alright."

They both wove through the crowd, stopping and talking to people here and there. Most women smiled politely at Sonny, some looked like they were being nice because they had to, and others didn't even exert the effort to seem like they cared. They just introduced themselves and moved on. But when Sonny came up to a tall, slender blonde woman, her mother gripped her arm.

"Harlot, six o'clock," she whispered in Sonny's ear.

Sonny tensed and glued on a smile, waiting for her mother to utter the woman's name.

_She seems so horrible_, she thought, desperately wanting to give her a talking-to for what she did to sweet Rosie.

"Leanne," Connie said, dislike evident in her voice (at least to Sonny), "I would like to introduce you to my daughter."

The blonde woman turned around, looking like she was unhappy that someone had interrupted her oh-so-important conversation.

"Connie," she smiled an _extremely_ small smile, smirking the smallest bit before turning her eyes towards the teenager. "So this is the famous Sonny."

"Yes, ma'am," Sonny grinned, trying to ignore the sudden urge to slap the woman's conceited-looking face.

"Nice to meet you," she said. It came across as slightly dull.

"You as well."

"Oh, so, we've got to go. You know, we haven't spoken to everyone here yet. Good hosting," Ms. Munroe said quickly, taking Sonny's elbow and beginning to drag her away. "Good to see you, Leanne."

"Wait, now, Connie."

They both turned slowly, wincing internally. Leanne's right corner of her mouth pulled into a bemused smile.

"Are you not going to let me talk with your beautiful daughter?"

"I would, Leanne, but we really need to make rounds. It was good to see you, I hope you are enjoying yourself."

"Okay. Goodbye, Sonny."

"Bye!"

* * *

"Sorry I, uh, took so long," Sonny apologized, walking back into her bedroom, an incredibly bored-looking Chad sitting on the edge of her bed. "Making rounds, you know."

"Yeah, sure," he shrugged. Sonny turned her back to him, putting an arm against the wall and propping up herself, using her other hand to slip off her heels. She groaned, wincing as she threw them on the floor. The circulation on the back of her heels was cut off, pink.

"Why do girls wear those things?" Chad asked bluntly, his brows raising at her temporary injuries. _Because it makes you look hot_, he thought. He kept it to himself, however. No perverted jokes of any extent allowed.

"I don't know," she whined to herself. She really was starting to question her sanity as far as her choice in shoes went. There was a reason she had curvy legs, she supposed. Muscles will form if she wears those so many times. Chad glanced at the clock on his phone while she threw her shoes in her closet. "I'm sorry I took so long. Really." She smiled shyly. "I guess you didn't learn much today, huh?"

"I wouldn't have remembered anything anyway," he lifted his shoulders and dropped them in a shrug.

Sonny had had something on her mind for the last thirty minutes. It was common for kids to act out when their parents were with someone new, right? Maybe that's why Chad did what he did. Perhaps it was a way to vent his frustration of the feeling his father was trying to replace his mother. She knew there had to be an explanation for this. Rachel said about the time he started going bad was in ninth grade, and according to Rosie, Leanne met his dad around two and a half years before. That time frame matched up, didn't it?

"I met a lot of interesting people downstairs," Sonny told him. He merely mumbled 'hmm' while texting someone. "Rosie… Layla… Sylvia… Leanne…"

Chad glanced up from his phone, meeting her eyes for a split second. He quickly looked away and back to the haven of his screen. He muttered again.

"Do you, uh, know any one… of those names?"

His head snapped up, searching her face scrutinizingly. She must know. He watched her as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail, sitting down in a green chair beside her window. Chad squinted, watching her expressions.

"Why?"

Sonny shrugged shyly, watching him with a new look in her eye. It looked like she was looking at a lost puppy.

"I, um… I heard that your dad has a girlfriend," she mentioned, biting her lip. She watched for his reaction. After all, they barely knew one another and she was asking him about home life. "I met her downstairs." Chad didn't say anything, just staring at his phone screen but not using it. Just staring. "Leanne, right?"

He spared her a glance. "Yeah. So what?"

"Do you like her?"

"Why - why do you care? Why are you asking me this?"

Sonny was silent, a little taken aback, and stared at her hands. She shrugged. "I was just… wondering."

"Why are you wondering?" he demanded. He hated talking about his father and his girlfriend. He always tried his best to forget them.

"I just thought that… m-maybe… you might want to know that she is downstairs." Neither of them said anything for a while. Then, "You know, to say h-hi or something."

"I have nothing to say to her."

It was blunt, void of feeling, a little angry.

"Don't you want to -?"

"No, Sonny!" he exclaimed, making her jump. He lowered his voice hastily. "I don't really have anything to do with my parents. Let's leave it at that."

She daren't bring it up again, easily seeing the unhappy feelings he had towards it, and she didn't need to give him another excuse to get angry or do anything else along those lines.

For the rest of the hour, Sonny tried telling him techniques that helped her remember formulas in math, but she could tell that he wasn't really there. His mind was somewhere else completely. It was obvious. She knew it was either on her, on a girl, or on his home life. Sonny had a feeling it was the last.

* * *

**How did you like it?**


	14. To the Dogs

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: To the Dogs**

Their heavy steps going down the staircase echoed in the crowded house as Sonny and Chad came downstairs. Sonny didn't speak as he opened the front door of her home without so much as looking back at her or anyone else. Sonny, politely, waited at the doorway and saw him out, watching as he trudged towards his bike with hands in pockets, head down. But then they both seemed to notice something quite…_ eye-catching_ as Chad closed in on his motorcycle.

There stood Lucky, proud and strong.

He was holding Chad's eye as if it spoke of the dominant one.

With a single leg lifted.

A squirting sound.

An infuriated and dumbfounded Chad.

A horrified Sonny.

"_Lucky_!" she shrieked, running towards the bike and the dog as fast as she could. "No! No, no, no, no! Bad dog!" Chad was already lethal enough as it was, he didn't need a dog marking territory on his bike to add onto it. The bad boy wasn't speaking, fists clenched as he stared at the dog and his precious bike, lip twitching slightly. But before Sonny could reach them, Chad exploded.

"You - you freakin' _dumb, piece of shi_ -"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Sonny interrupted hastily, leaning down and picking up the smug canine. She sheltered him with her arms and he didn't stop glaring at the animal like he was going to kill it.

"He _peed_ on my freakin' _bike_!"

"I - I know he did, but he doesn't know any better and -"

"Oh, I can freakin' _promise_ you that he knew better; that stupid flea bag! I'll kick that thing until it can't breathe!" Chad raged, nostrils flaring.

"Don't you touch my baby!" Sonny growled, holding the little grey dog to her chest protectively. She stroked Lucky's ears as a high-pitched growl escaped the dog.

"That… that… _thing_," Chad breathed, fury encasing him as he pointed a shaking finger at the animal, "urinated all over my Harley! He needs a hard kick in the -"

"No, he doesn't! I won't let you touch a hair on his head! Haven't you and your buddies done enough harm to this little guy enough as it is?" Sonny demanded, standing up for this poor animal once again.

"Not _enough_!"

"If you want to get to him, you are gonna have to go through _me_!"

Chad's eyes were clouded with anger. He stepped closer to her slowly, not dropping eye contact with her. "That can be arranged."

As much as Sonny was tempted to waver, she stood her ground. She wasn't going to let Lucky get hurt on her watch. Not again.

"I'm not backing down," Sonny said certainly, quietly, holding his dark eyes. They stood there for who knew how long, having a stare-showdown. Little did they know, this moment would foretell quite a bit in their relationship. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Chad took a step back and looked away exasperatedly, sighing in aggravation. His jaw was set as he whispered,

"Just get him out of my sight quick and I won't beat the ever living snot out of him."

Sonny didn't need to be told twice. She turned her back and Lucky peered at Chad over her shoulder. If he didn't know better, he'd say that that dog was smirking at him! Sonny sat him down and Lucky just stood there, staring at Chad challengingly. He barked once, pronouncedly. Chad advanced on the dog, and Lucky quickly bolted away towards the backyard, barking and growling all the while. The biker stopped in mid-stride nodding and smirking. "Yeah, that's right. Not so tough now, are ya?"

Lucky was out of sight soon, leaving Sonny standing there awkwardly in her dress and a pair of flats. He stared after the canine, huffing.

"I'll, uh, get some paper towels," she whispered awkwardly, going inside hastily and appearing moments later. She bent down to where the dog had… ahem… _relieved_ himself and began to rub and dab with her nose wrinkled.

Chad watched her in her little black dress, 'polishing' the bike, the wind blowing her hair back behind her, and he found himself smirking again. He checked himself before she noticed, but he liked the idea of that. He got a thrill out of her cleaning his motorcycle, for some unknown reason. Sonny finally stood to her full height, sighing and holding the towels far away from her.

"Done," she muttered. She met his eyes for a brief second before throwing the pee-stained towels in the nearby garbage. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah," he mumbled in return, stepping on it and kicking it to life. It leaned to the side as he adjusted himself and looked at her to tell her one last thing before he took off. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"So, um, I guess I'll see you next Wednesday?" she asked hesitantly, hands clasped together in an innocent manner. He looked back at her, the smallest and slightly forgotten trace of a smile on his lips.

"Sure. Whatever. Don't know if it'll help any anyways, though."

The way she looked at him made him stop himself from taking off at when their conversation _should_ have been over. Chad looked back at her, brows raised. She bit one side of her lip while the other side pulled up in a half-smile.

"It'll help," she told him.

"And what makes you so sure about that?" he asked, actually a little _amused_ at the fact she thought so.

"Because… I, um, I believe in you," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. For some reason that he didn't completely understand, Chad cut off his motorcycle and his hand went limp on the handlebar. He was looking at her with a look that couldn't be explained. It was befuddled, surprised, unsure, somehow thankful.

"You _what_?" he asked, and it came out in some form of an unbelieving laugh.

"I think you can learn," Sonny nodded, smiling smally. "But you have to apply yourself." She emphasized the last statement. An odd feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach that wasn't familiar to him. This girl - _hot_ girl - that he barely knew - but made it a mission _to_ get close to - was telling him that she believed that he could learn - something he'd never heard. No teacher ever made an effort to 'tap into his potential'. No peers or friends ever said he was smart. His father definitely never told him that he was sharp.

This feeling in his stomach was foreign to him.

Was he feeling… proud?

He didn't do this… academic stuff. He wasn't a nerd. Chad didn't exert any effort when it came to school. Well, granted, he exerted effort to _disrupt_ school, but never to do well in it.

"I think if you put as much effort into your work as you do into riding that bike," she grinned, pointing at it, "and acting crazy… then, I… I honestly believe that you could do - do pretty well."

Chad was speechless for the first time ever. He couldn't say anything but ask skeptically, "Really?"

Sonny nodded, smiling earnestly. "Really."

Chad cranked up his bike and revved it a few times, smiling at her. And it wasn't a smirk. And it wasn't forced. It was a _smile_. But he didn't roll his eyes. He didn't scoff. He didn't even say thank you.

"See you at school, Munroe," he winked, speeding away before she could register what was going on. The dirt from the gravel swirled in clouds around the back of his bike as he left. Sonny watched and listened until she could no longer see nor hear the Harley Davidson.

* * *

"And how did it go?" Lawson asked Chad that night at the regular fire underneath the dock, taking a swig of his beer.

"_I, um, I believe in you," Sonny had said._

"It was… interesting," he replied uninterestedly, shrugging his shoulders. Chad took a drag from one of his rare cigarettes. He suddenly felt more stressed since this bet had been initiated.

"…And?" Rage questioned. He wasn't yet drunk out of his wits, but he had remembered enough from the night the bet had been set to remember there was one at all. The fiery red-head was deeply drawn by Lawson's little proposition for Chad, and always asked often about the subject. Chad exhaled and the grey smoke floated into the air, blending with the smoke from the beer bottle-filled fire.

"Well, her mom was throwing some kind of party for people at her office and crap," he said, smirking, "so Sonny had to dress up and make sure she was 'presentable'. Three words: _Hot. As. Hell_."

Rage wolf-whistled. "Oh, dude, wish I had been there to see that."

"All for my eyes, man," he wagged his eyebrows, clicking his tongue. "It's sweet."

"Just wait until you get that eye candy unwrapped," Lawson grinned, seeming to toast the air with his bottle. "Too bad Rod's already done his initiation. He would have gotten to that by now."

"Oh _yeah_, man!" they heard from behind a distant dock pillar. Rod was currently on look out. Chad chuckled to himself.

"It's only been one session," Chad reminded him. "Remember, she's the goody-goody virgin. It may take a while to get to her, but I'll do it."

"You better," Lawson said, but his voice wasn't very humorous.

"After all," he scoffed after taking another breath-full of nicotine-filled smoke, "how long is she gonna be able to resist _this_?" He motioned to himself up and down. Rage and Lawson rolled their eyes.

"Well, anyway, enough about Chad and his little project," the leader said in a final tone, slowly getting out of his chair and beginning to walk up the beach. "Talkin' about chicks is getting me riled, guys. I'm goin' to the strip club."

"Have fun," Chad called after him, laughing.

"Neither of you comin'?"

"Nah," Rage shrugged. "Already been twice today."

"Chad?"

"Too lazy to get up, man."

"Alright. I'm goin' to get laid!"

They heard Lawson's Suzuki G-Strider take off, and Rage whirled around to Chad immediately. His devious smile matched his fiery hair, appearing to flicker on it's own in the light of the flames.

"I wanna hear."

"Hear what?"

"Come on, ass-lick, I know that you were holding out with Lawson here listening in. I want details on your special little virgin." He was smirking like mad.

Chad couldn't deny that he had been anything less that detailed about the tutoring session when he knew Rage could detect the truth. The blonde lifted and dropped his shoulders in a shrug, smirking his special smirk that couldn't be replicated.

"The curves, man," he shook his head, eyes shut tight as he remembered that dress. "_Hot_."

"Yeah, well I know that," he rolled his eyes. "I've seen her."

"I mean in that nice little black dress she was wearing," Chad winked, making Rage's eyes light with devilish glee. "She is so hot and she doesn't even know it."

"Which makes her hotter," Rage added. If he were more drunk, the blonde boy was certain he would have been drooling. Chad just nodded, taking another drag then throwing the small packet into the fire. "Oh, man… if she's got a friend, fill me in."

Chad's mind flashed to Rachel. He shook his head. "Don't know if you'd want to get involved with her."

"She ugly?"

"Nothing close to Sonny, if that's what your expectations are."

"Well, crap."

They were both silent as they listen to the orange fire crackle and the sea's waves swell. A couple of sleepy sea gulls cawed and the large, tan moon watched them.


	15. The Hard Reality

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Hello, everyone! How are you guys? I hope you like this chapter! PM me, or more easily, tell me in your reviews, what you think should happen in the next chapter with Sonny's newfound knowledge. Well, it might not REALLY be - you know what? Just read it first, and then decide for youselves. :P And Chad's friends are creepy, huh? I can't get rid of them, unfortunately. They are very important. Alexa and I want to thank you so much for reading and reviewing. R&R!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Hard Reality**

The sun was shining brightly through the trees, flickering as the leaves obscured it for seconds at a time, then moved. The air was directly between warm and cool, the perfect temperature. Sonny felt so… _free_, so clean, inside and out. There was no scent in the air… simply just a shimmering, cleansing, but _scentless_ intake of breath. The sound of rustling leaves was all she could hear. That, and the occasional calling of a distant bird. It was, as anyone would probably describe it, a perfectly beautiful day.

She was at an unfamiliar crossroads. It was two gravel roads, different in size but not in length, both extending too far away for visibility to discover what lied at the end. The crisp, clean air and rustling leaves was all that would distract her senses, but if anything, it seemed to clear them. To the left was a curving, seemingly perfectly shaped, dark-tinted gravel road. It was inviting, but mysterious. And for some reason, the mystery was an uneasiness-filled mystery. She was curious, but _something_ about that path just… didn't feel right.

To the right was a lightly colored gravel road that was as straight as a board. It, unlike it's opposer, was _not_ visibly flawless. A few rocks were strewn across the bright green grass that was on both sides of the road, and random weeds with blooms were sprouted in random areas on the right. It was inviting, and bode a sense of mystery as well. It was an uneasy mystery, but the uneasiness in this road was not uncomfortably so. It was frightening because it was the unknown, but unlike the left, she didn't feel as if there was more than one reason to turn away from this road. It just seemed… safer.

So, following her intuition, Sonny turned to the right. Her dark boots made the gravel crunch beneath her as she walked, but it was almost a comforting sound. The sky was a light blue and the sun seemed to be playing a game with her, peeking out at her from between the branches of trees that lined her way. She smiled that contagious smile that she was known for, breathing in deeply that mysteriously clean air. Her blonde-brown hair shone in the sun. A couple of robins flew above her head, towards her destination, and she watched until they were out of her sight. She looked to her right and saw an open grassy plain, beautiful to behold. Sonny looked to her left and saw the distant road that she had decided not to take; and she was shocked to see that it suddenly wound sharply, curving into a bank of mist.

Sonny turned her head back to the front, the mist making the uneasiness that she disliked so much return. The beautiful sun made it fade and she sighed in relief as she continued to walk down the rocky road. She wondered where this road led. It was somewhere curious and, if her stomach was correct, lovely. She sped up her step, anxious now. A light breeze swept towards her and made her hair blow back, and she smiled. It felt absolutely wonderful. She wished she could be in a place like this all of the time. Why couldn't the rest of California always feel this… _perfect_?

It almost didn't feel like she was in a beach state. It felt like she was in the country. The air wasn't salty, the trees weren't palm, and the sky was void of a single cloud. She kept walking.

And walking.

And walking.

Taking in everything.

And walking.

And walking.

Finally, the beautiful oasis of a road ended. It came to a stop in front of a large mass. What it was, Sonny couldn't be sure. The sun was directly behind it, shining over it's edges, making it obscure and nearly impossible to see. She squinted and shaded her eyes. With a small, quiet gasp of realization, Sonny realized it was a home. An incredibly large, white, marble palace. The mansion was two stories, four large columns in the front seeming to state it's beauty and importance to any passersby. Green oaks and maples were in it's wake, small but proud and neat, homey really.

Sonny glanced around and saw multiple flower pots, pink and purple and yellow hydrangeas blooming. The place was absolutely breathtaking, the perfect home. It was large, but not pretentious. It was gorgeous, but not boastful. It implied the owner had plenty of money, but it wasn't overtaken by a large marble fountain or a solid gold statue in the front for looks. It was an intimidating magnet for admiration.

_Clang!_

Sonny jumped, whirling to her left to find a small, untidy shed. It almost seemed out of place beside it's opposite. Rust covered it's roof, and inside it's sheet metal walls was piles of unidentifiable junk. Oil cans, wrenches, empty chip bags, dirty wrappers, garbage. It was everywhere. Sonny hated seeing there, beside such a gorgeous place, just seeming to shame it. Then something caught her eye. Something within the shed seemed to be moving, and beside it was a shining silver. The glare from the sun on the unknown metal hurt her eyes, but she didn't care. Curiously, she walked closer.

She stepped inside and was met by an anything but pleasant smell, causing her to wrinkle her nose. She stepped in closer, and was shocked. Here, in the midst of all of this trash, was a shiny new motorcycle. It gleamed in the light from the sun that was pouring in through the open entryway, it's black cover and shining silver chrome speaking for itself. Suddenly, after getting over the surprise of finding it at all, Sonny realized that it wasn't foreign. Everything else here was foreign, new, alien to her. But this wasn't.

With a jolt in her stomach, Sonny took a step back. She had seen this bike before. It almost looked like…

_Clang!_

She was startled again by the sound of banging metal. It had come from the back corner of the small shed, a darker space than she had realized at first. Sonny took a step back as more noise ensued, then she saw movement. It was large. Surely not an animal. Unless it was a dog, or a bear, or a wolf. But that would be ridiculous. It stood to it's full height, and with relief she realized it was a person. She laughed to herself, clapping a hand to her chest.

"Oh, you scared me," she laughed. The person stepped forward, the light covering their face and now making them visible. "Oh my God!"

The familiar face sunk into her mind, making it race with question and surprise. There were those blue eyes for which she always searched intentions, the dirty blonde hair that always looked messy but flawless, and the lanky figure that towered over her when she felt afraid.

"Chad!" Sonny exclaimed, befuddled. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't reply, walking past her and to a small, dirty table that was covered in miscellaneous tools and screws. He grabbed a forgotten rag and walked to the bike and rubbed the seat until it shined even more. Chad smiled, happily. This threw Sonny for a loop, considering he never smiled. She had only seen a genuine smile once, and it was for a fraction of a second. She was still questioning herself on whether it had even happened at all.

"Chad?" Sonny questioned again. He still said nothing, stepping back with hands in pockets, looking at the machine like it was a god. The light from the sun reflected off of the chrome and onto him, illuminating him in a shimmering light. Suddenly, with a burst of realization, she was seeming to see his face for the first time that day.

It was… _different_.

Coming to think of it, Sonny saw that his hair was shorter, too. And a little lighter than usual. His chin wasn't as long as normal, his cheekbones weren't quite as high, and his lips weren't as full. He still looked like Chad, but… he almost looked _younger_. But that wasn't possible. She must just be noticing these things for the first time. Or… maybe it was the angel that she saw him. Yeah, that could be it. And maybe he had gotten a trim to his hair.

"Chad?" she questioned yet again, brows raised. "Do you… do you live here?"

"Mr. Cooper!" came a sudden call, startling her. It was near. In walked a tall man in a clean suit, posture flawless and head held high. "Your father wishes to see you."

Chad looked back to his bike regretfully and sighed. "Alright. I'm coming."

Was it her, or was his voice just a _little_ higher than usual?

It must be her.

Sonny suddenly noticed that the man had on a pair of white gloves. She concluded that he must be the butler.

_Wait_… BUTLER? They had a butler? She knew that his father was a CEO, but a _butler_? Why was she having trouble wrapping her head around this? Maybe it was the fact that he came to school every day wearing the same old leather jacket, a dirty pair of jeans, and some kind of normal, _middle class-looking_ t-shirt. This was crazy.

And how in the world had she even gotten here? Was coming to Chad's house just some form of… a coincidence? How had this happened? The butler and Chad walked out of the dirty, rust-covered shed and towards the elegant house as if it was an every day thing. She couldn't believe this. She just _could not_ believe this. And why were they ignoring her? Chad never answered her question, and the butler didn't even glance her way. Surely Chad would be surprised to see his tutor at his house when he hadn't even given her an address!

Unsure of what else to do, Sonny followed the two to the front doorstep, going up the series of white, bright stairs.

She stepped inside right behind Chad, and behind her followed the butler. The place was open, gorgeous, everything you would expect it to be from the outside. Sunlight poured in through the windows, making the hardwood floor brighter and the exquisite furniture seem dream-like. A large, oval, dark cherry wood dining table sat in the middle of a room to the right. At the edge of the table, sitting in the most elaborate chair was an older man. His brown hair was grey at the ends and his eyes were sunken in. His blue eyes were dull, void of life.

"Yeah, Dad?" Chad asked, taking a seat at the other end of the table. The man sighed, his face persevering as he looked at his son.

"So, how are you liking that new motorcycle of yours?" he asked, his hands folding together on the table. Chad looked back and forth from his father to the window outside, showing a view of the shed.

"Uh, it's cool," he said, evidently not sure why he was being asked this question.

"Um," Sonny said, uncomfortable that she seemed to be intruding, "I'll just… step in the other room if you two want to be alone."

"I'm, uh, I'm glad you like it," his father said, not having even glanced up at Sonny. She scoffed awkwardly, astounded that no one had even pretended to take notice of her. What was she, invisible?

"What did you _really_ call me in to talk to me about?" Chad asked, sitting back in his chair more dismissively, glancing back out of the window in a longing way.

"Chad…"

"Hey, where's Mom?" he asked absentmindedly, putting his hands back behind his head. "Isn't she usually back from work by now?"

Mr. Cooper was looking extremely uncomfortable, running a hand through his hair and looking much older.

"Son, she -"

"And why is the piano cover down?" Chad asked curiously, sitting up and pointing towards the grand piano in the room next to them. "It's always up. Mom always plays when she gets home."

"Chad, you need to listen -"

"And it's almost six o'clock. Mom always has dinner cooking by now."

Sonny listened to the nearly deafening silence coming from the kitchen across the foyer.

"I have news that you should -"

"Is she just staying late at work today?" Chad asked, faintly curious. "She did look a little stressed when she left this morning. Maybe that's why she -"

"Chad -"

"- isn't home. She must have had something that's making her stay and -"

"_Chad, listen to me, damn it_!" Mr. Cooper screamed, his fist coming in hard contact with the table. His supressed anger from the past couple of months exploded. The impact from his fist echoed around the house as well did his voice. "She's not coming home!"

Silence.

Chad looked like he had just been told a hilarious joke. "Yeah, right." He laughed, a little forced.

"Um, I don't - I - are you sure you don't mind me being in here?" Sonny stammered, twisting her hands together. She shouldn't be here. This is none of her business. Why wouldn't they even give her a second glance?

"It's not a joke, Chad," his father said softly, all trace of anger gone. They looked at each other for a long time, not dropping eye contact. Finally, one of them spoke. It was quiet, but still seemed to cut the silence like a knife. Speaking seemed forbidden.

"She's…" Chad muttered, watching his father like he was the only grip of reality in the room, "she's… n-not…"

"Not coming back," Mr. Cooper whispered.

Suddenly, Chad stood up, making his chair screech against the floor. His face was angry as he stared at his father. His fists were clenched. "So… it was just _that_ easy, huh?"

His father leaned forward, the veins in his neck bulging as his temper flared. "Excuse me?"

"Well, uh, _didn't_ take long for you to get rid of her, huh?" Chad sneered, stepping aside from his chair and scooting it back in, grabbing the back of it with his knuckles white.

"Are you accusing me of _trying_ to make your mother leave?" he whispered in a deadly voice, eyes squinted.

"Pretty obvious," his son snorted. "I don't know how you didn't see this coming, _Dad_. Sometimes people leave when you fight with them _every single night_!"

His father bolted out of his chair as well, fists clenching and unclenching. "Oh, don't even try and put this on me!" he screamed loudly, punching the air. "I didn't do _anything_ wrong! It was all _her_! I give, and I give, and I give, and you know what she gave me? _Nothing_! NOTHING!" Mr. Cooper grabbed a nearby vase and slammed it onto the floor, it shattering into millions of pieces, making Sonny jump and scream at the surprise of it.

"Because you didn't _deserve_ anything!" Chad yelled back at him, getting up in his father's face. "You are _selfish, greedy, _and don't care about _anyone_ but yourself! You never have time for anybody anymore! You're always at work!"

"Chad, you are sixteen now," his father said, trying to calm his voice, "you should understand the responsibility and what I have to do to keep this place running! You know that _lovely_ little motorcycle out there of yours? Bought with _my _money! For _you_!"

"Chad, you're eighteen," Sonny stated, her voice uneven. Something was wrong here. Something was off.

"See? Money is all you ever care about anymore! How could she _not_ leave?" he demanded, angrily pounding the wall. "And let me ask you something, _Dad_," Chad sneered, stepping closer to him until they were almost nose-to-nose. "That 'lovely little motorcycle' out there… did you even go buy it for me? Huh?" His father was silent, just staring at him with eyes wild and jaw set. "Yeah, maybe it was your money, but who went out and bought it, Dad? Who went out and _looked at it_? Who knew the _kind_ of bike I liked, huh?" Chad stepped back and shook his head, scoffing to himself. "Not you."

"I do _all kinds _of things for you," he began, fury in his eyes.

"No. No, you don't," he shook his head, his bottom lip bit. He looked up from the ground and back to his father's mad eyes. "You do it for you."

Chad stepped back, looking at his father with the utmost disappointment. Mr. Cooper yelled out and grabbed a nearby lamp, throwing it to the ground. The bulb shattered and the shade went rolling across the floor as his father marched out of the room, mumbling under his breath.

Sonny didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. What… what was going on? Mr. Cooper had just said that Chad was _sixteen_ now, but no, he was eighteen! Every time she spoke, they kept talking as if she wasn't there. It was like they couldn't hear her.

With churning of her stomach, she realized with a whimper:

They _couldn't_ hear her.

They couldn't see her. She wasn't there as far as they were concerned. She could scream and stomp and do whatever she wished, and they wouldn't even lift a finger. _How was this possible?_ _How was she here? _Why _was she here?_

Sonny's throat ached as her head snapped around, looking at everything as if she was expecting it to jump out and eat her. Things no longer seemed real, everything was blurry and swirling in her state of shock… accept Chad. He stood, perfectly in balance, as the world seemed to fade out around him. Sonny was hit by a load of emotions all at once. She wanted to go up to him, shake his shoulders, and try and get his attention. She wanted to scream and demand where and why she was. She wanted to run out of the door and run back down that long road from which she came. But most of all…

Sonny wanted to comfort him. The kind heart that was inside her was desperate to reach out to him and make the pain go away. He was grasping onto the back of one of the chairs, leaning on it for support. Sonny knew that he couldn't see her, or hear her, or knew that she even existed, but she didn't care.

She slowly stepped into the room, stopping directly in front of the (now she realized) not-so-tough California biker. His arm was extended, straight, as he leaned against the table, slumped, staring at the ground with brows pulled together in anger and hurt.

"I'm sorry," Sonny whispered. She knew it would make no difference, but she didn't care. She said it anyway. _Someone_ needed to be on his side.

Suddenly, Chad's eyes shot up from the ground, staring straight ahead. Sonny was frightened at the intensity of his stare. She knew that he couldn't see her, that he had to just be staring off into nothing in misery, but… his _eyes_. They were miserable, blood-shot, exhausted. Then, with a pang of pity, Sonny realized that they were wet. Tear stains ran down his face, but he didn't cry out or sniffle. He gazed _right_ into her eyes, disorienting Sonny. He couldn't see her… right? But he was staring _right into her eyes_… She could almost swear that…

Sonny opened her mouth, going to speak, but then closed it again. Her eyes were so incredibly sympathetic, trying to reach out to him. He needed someone. Someone who cared.

Then suddenly, Chad stepped back, still looking at her, then turned. He was shaking his head, running a hand through his hair. He looked towards the staircase, then bolted up them. Sonny just stood where she was, frozen, in shock. She snapped out of it when his heavy footsteps banged down the stairs and he appeared, shoving random articles of clothing into a small black bag. He dropped a yellow shirt and picked it back up hastily, shoving it into the pack with the rest of it's contents. He stopped at the door with his hand on the knob, looking back at the house and then to the room with a broken vase and shattered lamp on the floor as beacons. Sonny could have sworn that he glanced her way before turning the knob and leaving, slamming the door. She rushed to a nearby window and watched as he sped away on his shiny 'new' Harley.

Suddenly, it seemed to become darker. The light in the dining room flickered and turned off, and the sun began to set at an unnatural pace. The house began to shrink smaller, the walls closing in. Sonny gasped, rushing to the door Chad had just used, tugging at the knob with her heart racing.

It was locked.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. She screamed, a vase full of flowers scooting off of a nearby stand and falling to the floor with a deafening crash. It echoed in her ears as the floor boards began to pull apart. Suddenly, the Welcome mat beneath her feet began to rip into pieces and she cried out for help.

Sonny fell into the dark hole of nothingness.

And she fell.

And fell.

And fell.

"HELP ME!"

With a jolt at her own scream, Sonny bolted up in her bed, sweating heavily and shaking. Her eyes darted around the room desperately, sighing as she finally realized where she was. Her door swung open and her light flicked on.

"Sonny, what's wrong?" her frantic mother demanded of her, rushing in with a flashlight and open arms. Sonny launched herself into them without a second thought.

"I… I…" she stuttered, looking around while an unsettling truth settled in on her. "I was dreaming."

"Oh, thank God," Ms. Munroe sighed, stroking her daughter's hair. "I thought someone was breaking into your room! You scared me!"

"I scared me, too," Sonny laughed, running a hand through her partially wet hair.

"Are you gonna be okay, sweetie?" she asked. Ms. Munroe put Sonny's hair behind her ear. "Can I go back to bed?"

"Yeah," Sonny nodded, her voice uneven.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Sonny quickly shook her head. "No!"

"Alright, alright," she put her hands up in surrender. She kissed Sonny's forehead. "Goodnight. Try to go back to sleep."

"Okay, Mom."

The door closed softly and Sonny sighed heavily. This was taking over her life way more than it should be. But she needed to calm down. It was only a dream.

... Right?


	16. When One Door Closes, Another Opens

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: When One Door Closes, Another Opens**

"Sonny!" Connie Munroe yelled over the churning of the blender in her arms. "Wake up! School starts in twenty minutes!"

Sonny's tired eyes shot open. Her sleepy eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden amount of light as she yawned. Realization deciding to hit her in the gut right then, Sonny jumped up and grabbed her alarm clock in anxiety.

_7:40_

"Oh, my gosh," she whispered to herself. "Oh. My. Gosh. Oh, my gosh!" Suddenly becoming as energetic as an Olympic runner, she raced out of bed and straight into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like an insomniac, and considering it had only been one night, Sonny was frightened. Shaking her head trying to release her thoughts, she grabbed her blue toothbrush and furiously brushed her teeth. Grabbing her hairbrush, she ran it through her hair in a feeble attempt to fix her case of bed-head. After, she took her contact lens case and took out the thin lenses, placing them in her eyes quickly, causing a horrible stinging sensation. She had forgotten to rinse them first.

"Ah!" she gasped quietly. "This is horrible!"

This sort of behavior was unusual for Sonny. On normal days, she would promptly wake up at seven sharp, no alarm clock needed (with the exception of Moving Day). She'd never rush, do everything prim and properly, and be ready on time. Not once, in her seventeen years, had she ever slept in late when she had somewhere to be. _Never_. This was as foreign to her as getting a bad grade on a test.

Ten agonizing and disoriented minutes later, she was ready. Well, her hair was a bit wavier than usual and she looked as if she hadn't slept in ages. But other than that, she supposed she was okay. Sonny always preferred to be cleanly groomed, but she wasn't shallow enough to care if she wasn't as good-looking as usual.

Sonny rushed down the stairs and plopped on a kitchen chair, sighing. "Morning, Mom."

Connie raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Quite a morning indeed."

"What?" Sonny asked, groggily. She eyed her mother with a sleepy glare.

"It's seven fifty," Connie explained, pointing to the clock in emphasis. "Since when have you woken up at _seven fifty_?"

Sonny groaned. "I have no idea. I'm just so tired."

"Hmm?" Connie pursed. "Sweetie, this might have something to do with your bad dream you had last night. You hardly ever have nightmares. You were bound to have one sometime, and, in turn, lose some sleep from it."

"Dream? What dream…?" Sonny's voice trailed off as she suddenly remember what happened last night.

"_See? Money is all you ever care about anymore! How could she not leave?" he demanded, angrily pounding the wall. "And let me ask you something, Dad," Chad sneered, stepping closer to him until they were almost nose-to-nose. "That 'lovely little motorcycle' out there… did you even go buy it for me? Huh?" His father was silent, just staring at him with eyes wild and jaw set. "Yeah, maybe it was your money, but who went out and bought it, Dad? Who went out and looked at it? Who knew the kind of bike I liked_,_ huh?" Chad stepped back and shook his head, scoffing to himself. "Not you." _

"Dream," she whispered. "Chad." It was hard to forget her oddly dramatic and realistic nightmare.

"What was that?" her mother asked, now washing the dishes.

"Nothing," Sonny lied. "Um, you know what, Mom? I need to get to school!" She chuckled nervously. "Don't want to be late!"

"But you haven't even eaten breakfast!" Connie frowned with a plate of flapjacks in her hands. "I made pancakes! Your favorite! And see?" she grinned in a persevering way. "I made them in the shapes of cows, like back home!"

Sonny smiled slightly at the thoughtfulness of her mom, scurrying to the door. "Yeah... I'm not very hungry. Bye!" she waved as she left. When Sonny hopped out of the door and towards a nearby bus stop, a sickening wave of guilt overwhelmed her stomach. The look in Ms. Munroe's eyes when she turned down the cow pancakes almost broke her heart.

Connie sighed, then looked at the platter before her.

"Well..." she sighed to herself. "More for me then?"

* * *

"What?" Rachel asked, dropping the cookie from her mouth to the tray. It landed with a comical clatter. "You dreamed that?" Her eyes were as wide as saucers, but her body was leaning back, away from her friend, almost in a frightened way.

Sonny nodded solemnly, looking down at her lunch tray. "Yeah. Weird, huh?" She was still having trouble believing it herself.

"More like _creepy_," Rachel frowned. "You know Chad's mom really did leave, right?"

Sonny's mouth dropped, eyes bulging. "What?"

Rachel nodded. "Two years ago, when Chad was sixteen. It was going around the grade for a while. Some people were guessing it might be the possible reason that he was acting out. All I heard was that one day, she just packed up her things and left. I remember once passing by their house and seeing a practically wrecked motorcycle upsidedown in their garbage can out by the road." She shook her head. "It was really bad."

"Oh my gosh..." Sonny breathed, her heart suddenly deciding of it's own accord to pound. "This - this is… this can't be possible."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked, suspiciously munching on a bright green apple.

Sonny let out a breath before beginning to elaborate on her freakish occurrence. "In my dream, Chad was sixteen. His dad had given him a motorcycle but he had yelled at him about how stupid of a 'compensation' that was for his mom leaving."

Rachel's eyes bugged out. "Oh my gosh, Sonny, it's like you can see the past. That's crazy. And you're his tutor? _Freaky_."

"Maybe it's…" Sonny began to suggest, but she stopped herself, unsure of what she was going to say to finish.

"Maybe it's... what?" Rachel egged on.

Suddenly, the bell rang, buzzing their ears with the reminder that lunch was over. The typical hustle and bustle of students beginning to talk louder and scraping chairs filled the room.

Sonny sighed and stood up. "I don't know. I honestly don't."

* * *

"So, if you out a radical around two squared that, would be...?" Sonny asked Chad, who was lazily sprawled on her bed, much to her discomfort. First of all, Sonny enjoyed a nice, clean, orderly space, and Chad wrinkling her bedspread without a care and moving pillows was a personal pet peeve.

"Uh..." he fished, twirling his phone around in his disinterested palm. "Five?"

Sonny shook her head in exasperation, but cautious to make sure that she didn't scold in too much of a controversial matter. She was glad that she was actually starting to get _used_ to handling him. "Good God, Chad. Are you listening to anything I'm saying?"

"Yeah!" Chad defended, but his voice was dull and his mind sounded like it was elsewhere. "We're talking about geography, right? Squares?"

Sonny pinched the bridge of her nose. "First of all, that's geometry, and secondly -"

"I honestly couldn't care less, _Sonny_," he rolled his eyes, saying her name with vigor as a form of entertainment for himself. She bristled.

"Kids?" Connie called, peering out of her doorway. "I'm doing a deep cleaning of the house."

"Uh, Mom," Sonny laughed a bit awkwardly. "That's nice, I guess. But, how -?"

"I need to do your room now."

"Well, we're kind of busy," she returned, not in the mood to be interrupted yet again. "Could you wait until Chad leaves and then do it?"

"No, honey, I need to do it now if you want that chemical smell to fade by the time you go to bed," Ms. Munroe sighed, leaning against the doorframe and running a hand through her short, dark hair. "You know what? Not that I want to tell you how to do your job or anything, but don't you think you and Chad have been studying long enough?"

"I do," Chad said immediately, shooting his tired hand into the air.

"Yeah, Sonny," her mother nodded in her defiant direction, "how long have you two been studying now? Half an hour?"

"But, Mom, Chad needs to know this -"

"It's not like he isn't coming next week," Connie grinned. Chad mirrored it, but it was more of a smirk, in Sonny's direction. He sat up on the edge of her twin bed, elbows on knees. "You can keep with it at school or here next Wednesday."

"Yeah, we can keep with it at school or here next Wednesday," Chad repeated to Sonny, saying it in a tone that she was sure could allure to a different meaning as well. But it was too subtle for her mother to pick up, making Sonny even more hesitant to give them any time alone that didn't require studying. Then she didn't have an excuse to not look at him!

"It's a nice day out," Ms. Munroe smiled. "Why don't you two go outside? Or maybe just walk around the house or something? Just give your minds a break. Chad looks like he could use it."

_It doesn't take that much to tire out Chad's brain_, Sonny thought before she could stop herself.

Chad, with brows raised and bottom lip protruding, nodded his head in agreement with her mom. She really didn't appreciate his mocking manner, but she knew that Ms. Munroe was probably right (unfortunately). He probably did need a break if she wanted to get anything out of him.

"Alright," Sonny finally gave in, standing up and slamming the geometry book closed. Chad stood up as well, stretching. He flexed his muscles subtly, but just enough for Sonny to notice but not her mother. She rolled her eyes and looked away, slightly flushed, before leading Chad down to the living room.

They both sat down on the couch, and Sonny looked around. Her mother had obviously already taken care of this space, and she could tell. It looked, smelled, and just _felt_ cleaner. Sonny and Chad sat there, twiddling their thumbs, looking around.

"You know," she finally said, breaking the awkward silence, looking terribly embarrassed, "you can leave if you want. I'm not going to make you stay here. Since we aren't studying or anything, I'm sure you probably want to get out of here and, uh… go hang out with your friends." _And do who knows what else_, she thought, having to force herself not to shudder.

Chad didn't particularly enjoy the feeling that rose in the pit of his chest as he watched Sonny sigh, looking at the ground. She acted as if she was sure that the second they were doing something that didn't benefit him, he would want to leave. Which was partly true. But _any_ time he spent with her, little did she know, would benefit him in the end.

"Uh, no, I don't have… I don't have anything better to do," he told her, wanting to smile but not sure it would come out convincingly.

Suddenly, shrill and consistent barking interrupted them. Lucky was leaning against a windowsill close by to the couch, staring through the glass at Chad with hate and growling, his small white teeth gleaming in the sun. Sonny jumped up from the couch and rushed to the window.

"No! No, Lucky! Bad dog! No barking!" she scolded, shooing him away. Lucky looked back and forth between the biker and his owner, defeated. He barked one last time at Chad and trotted away, his little furry head held high. Sonny returned to the couch, apologizing.

"Sorry," she said weakly, smiling nervously. "About him… and the fact that we don't really have much to do here."

"It's cool," he said, not knowing anything else to mention. Suddenly, an idea came to him. It would be a good way to pass the time _and_ get on her good side. "Is there anything around here that you might, maybe… need help with or something?"

"What do you mean?" she rose her brows.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Chad repeated, realizing the double meaning to that phrase _after_ it exited his mouth. When she turned red, he continued hastily. "You know, anything around the house? Like, a Man Job?" He tried to laugh, flexing his biceps. Sonny smiled, realizing his effort to appease the situation.

She raked her brain for any such task. "No, I can't really think of anything." They both sighed. "Well…" Chad glanced up, "… there's a stuck doorknob upstairs," she mentioned significantly.

"Doorknob?" his right eyebrow rose.

"Is that not enough of a _Man Job_?" she smiled. He returned it, perhaps the least-forced yet.

"I'll give it a shot, Munroe," Chad winked, rising from the couch with Sonny close behind.

* * *

"See? It doesn't… doesn't matter what I do, it won't - won't open," she struggled, twisting the brass knob. She pulled, pried, and turned, but the door stayed where it was, almost mocking her. Chad watched her struggle with it, trying not to laugh at how weak she was. He was just getting on her good side, he thought. He didn't want to ridicule her and ruin it.

"Hmm," the biker contemplated, crossing his arms. Chad looked at the knob for a while, studying it.

Sonny couldn't help herself. "Is all you're going to do is stare at it?" she asked lightly. "Because I can do that."

"No," he said a little testily, shooting her an irritated glare. But instead of fear, she realized, she was feeling a sort of satisfaction. Perhaps it was because the glare was more joking and less… _lethal_. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to be careful about how she pushed her luck and his temper.

Chad leaned down and looked at the doorknob closer up, fingering it gently and turning it slowly.

"What are you doing?" Sonny asked curiously.

He ignored her, looking at the old thing from all angles. Finally, he did the oddest thing. He kicked the door twice, twisted the knob right and then left, then pulled it towards him. A strangle popping noise came from inside the levers of the problematic door, and it seemed to separate slightly from the frame. Sonny watched in befuddlement as he twisted it hard to the right and the door swung open with a loud creak.

"Whoa," she breathed, which earned a satisfied smirk from the now-door-expert. "How did you do that?"

He shrugged. "I just looked at it."

"But how does that make you know what to do?" she demanded, amazed.

"I guess I'm just good with doors," he said a little uncomfortably, knowing that he was lying. He couldn't tell her why he was so good with doors - specifically locked ones. It wasn't so much that he was talented when it came to _doors_ themselves, but really the knob and the lock that they held. Let's just say that he had plenty of practice opening locked doors.

"I don't understand _how_, though -"

"Do you know what's in there?" Chad interrupted her, trying to change the subject. Sonny looked away from him and into the suddenly eerie room. All she could see was a small window on the other end of the attic-like space, casting a dark blue ray of light across the floor. But all else was dark black. Warm, dry air came rushing out of the room, fanning their faces. It made Chad curious, but it repelled Sonny.

She stared into the pitch black abyss. "I… uh… have _no idea_ what's in there. It, um, came locked with the house."

They both heard the fear in her voice, but instead of Chad being concerned or trying to encourage her, he found it funny.

"You scared?" he laughed, smugly looking down at her. Color drained from her cheeks.

"No!" she said too hastily, which gave both of them the clear answer.

"It's just a room, Munroe," he laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder. She didn't like the vibe she was getting from the situation (his hand on her shoulder, his laughs, the dark room seeming to be trying to draw her in). She was venturing out of her comfort zone.

"Well, you know…" she trailed off, hands twisting together as she gazed into the malicious-looking space. "Maybe there was a reason it was locked." She shrugged nonchalantly, but it was a little shaky. A dry laugh escaped her lips.

Chad rolled his eyes, then smiled. His eyes were shining with devilish glee. He had an idea, and the outcome was always… _interesting_ when Chad Dylan Cooper had an idea.

Without a second thought, Chad took both hands, placed them on Sonny's shoulder blades, and shoved her into the room with all of his strength.


	17. Music of the Past

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Music of the Past**

Sonny's scream of terror mixed with Chad's amused laughter as she hurtled into the unknown and potentially dangerous, dark room. The dry, hot air engulfed her like a hand closing in around it's long-awaited victim. She sucked in terrified breath, coughing as the unfamiliar, sinister air scraped against her lungs. She coughed roughly, then made sure she continued screaming as soon as the coughing fit was over. Sonny turned back around and rushed towards the door, but there stood Chad's tall and looming figure, preventing her escape. The bad boy stood there with arms crossed, his figure visibly shaking in laughter, but the sound of it drowned out by Sonny's shrieking.

"What are you doing?" she cried. "Let me out, Chad!"

She, even though there was no space between him and the doorframe, tried to push him out of the way or squeeze past him. Of course it came to no avail. He stood there, leaning against one side of the old door's frame, arms crossed coolly and a smirk gracing his face. He refused to let her out, laughing the whole time as she frantically tried to rush past him, but was blocked by a leg, arm, or his tall body. He gently pushed her back into the room without much effort required on his part, but Sonny was trying as hard as she could to resist him. Chad had easily pushed her back far enough to step in, laugh, and close the door behind him without any interference from the frantic girl he had forced in.

_Oh my God, what is he doing?_ she panicked, watching as he closed their only way out - _her_ only way out. They were inside a dark room. Alone. If her mother hadn't heard her screams by now, she wouldn't hear them later… and she had a nagging feeling that there would be more.

Suddenly, her screaming ceased. She felt a closeness to her… a breath on her ear. She didn't know who's it could possibly be besides Chad's. But what scared her the most was that she didn't know if she'd _rather_ it be him or some unknown presence. That made her concerned that she didn't know what she was scared of more. Shivers ran down her spine as she felt the breath on her ear again. The room seemed to grow hotter.

"I'm making you face your fears," the voice breathed huskily, fanning her neck. Sonny's breath hitched. The voice was clearly Chad's. But the worst part was… this fact did _not_ comfort her. When terror was beginning to wash over like a drowning, suffocating wave, suddenly the feeling of invaded personal space disappeared. The hot breath was gone, her body's involuntary defenses lowered, and she heard footsteps walking away from her. She choked out a sigh of relief.

The lights flicked on to reveal a conflicted and irritated-looking Chad, fingers on the metal light switch on the opposite wall. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Sonny, what's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" She answered his question with another.

He was angry. She could see it in his eyes. They were becoming dark.

"I go up and say something to you, and you act like I'm about to -"

Chad stopped himself before he became too angry, which wouldn't be good for either of them. He also wasn't sure he needed to finish that sentence. He didn't know if he _could_.

"Like you're about to… what?" Sonny whispered. He watched the fear grow in her brown eyes the longer the silence dragged on, but for some reason, he didn't find it funny.

"Nothing," he finally answered, deathly quiet. "Nothing at all."

Chad looked away from her eyes, for the first time noticing the now-illuminated room around them. It was quite big, incomplete wood beams covering most of the wall and a hard, wood-shaving covered floor beneath them. There was also a large, boarded-up window on the wall. But it wasn't the incomplete room that caught his eye. It was what sat in the middle of it, behind a girl of whom he was barely paying any attention now.

There, in the middle of the dirty space, sat a grand piano. Unique, light-stained wood shined, polished, in the light of the uncovered bulb hanging from the ceiling. The lid was closed, and so was the key cover, but as he stared at it, he heard music. Music of the past. He stared at the grand instrument and it was all he could see. Nothing and nobody else was there.

"_No, sweetie, like this…"_

He no longer saw the attic. The ceiling was gone. The shaving-colored floor was gone. Sonny was gone.

"_What are you doin', Mommy?" a small, blonde-haired boy asked, running across the shining hardwood floor towards a large, gleaming piano. The light-colored wood reflected the sun and seemed to make the room, and it's player, glow. The seven year-old watched in wonderment at the head of luminescent blonde hair as he approached. Light blue eyes met his as he stood beside the piano's bench, watching the perfect fingers dance along the white keys._

"_I'm playing my favorite song, sweetheart," she answered lightly, giving him a stunning smile as she hit a final chord and put her hands in her lap. The sun shone behind her, making the boy smile as he gazed upon his own personal, loving angel._

"_Wow," he smiled, hitting his hand down on the keys, producing an ear-splinting sound that earned nothing but a proud smile from his mom. He laughed gleefully as he continued with both hands, making it sound like an animal was walking across the keys. He slowly came to a stop, frowning. "I still don't sound as good as you, Mommy."_

"_Oh, sweetie, come here," she cooed, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him up into her lap. He smiled as he hit another note, it's sound echoing in the large, spacious, sun-covered room. She lowered her mouth to his ear, whispering, "I'll tell you what. I will help you learn to play if you give me _THE HONOR _of letting me play for you every afternoon when I get home. Would you like that?"_

_The boy smiled brightly, vigorously nodding. "Yeah!"_

"_Okay," she chuckled, lifting him up again and setting him down on the bench beside her._

"_I wanna play as good as you when I'm a big kid."_

"_You just might, baby. You just might."_

_The little boy hit the note again, and it rang._

_And rang._

And rang.

There sat the piano. He knew it couldn't be the same one. It couldn't be his mother's. That wasn't possible. But it was _just like it_. It glowed in the same way, it sat in the same way, it had the same sheer _presence_ that would draw anyone in a room.

"Chad?" Sonny whispered, hesitant.

He ignored her. He unblinkingly gazed at the masterpiece, not wanting to forget it. He was imprinting the image in his mind.

It was like the last connection he had with his mother.

Sonny turned around (not that Chad noticed) and gasped quietly. She smiled, running her fingers across the beautiful, flawless wood. She lifted up the lid and stared down into the depths of the instrument's inner workings. She smiled, quietly breathing in awe,

"It's perfect."

No broken strings. No misplaced hammers or a cracked frame. The piano bed was scratchless, and the dampers were dusty but in good shape. Without thinking twice, Sonny skipped to the bench excitedly. She grinned her signature face-eating smile and sighed happily. She hadn't played a piano, let alone a grand, in quite a long time.

She grinned brilliantly as she ran her hands over the smooth, dustless keys. The afternoon sun was coming through the small window across the room, shining on her back and on the piano itself. It was an unnatural beauty, one that made you want to stare for hours. And that's exactly what both of them were doing.

Sonny closed her eyes, relaxed, and pressed a key. The sound rung through the room like a loud, clear bell. Chad, in an instant, snapped back into reality. Everything was sharper, more real, more _there_ than it had been the past ten minutes. He was responsive now. He took a deep breath and let it out through an exhausted exhale.

She sighed and spread out her hand, eyes still closed, and played a relaxing, cheery C-chord. Chad's eyes slowly floated from the piano and hovered over to the girl in the sunlight, testing the chords. Without even meaning to, he began to stare. Sonny smiled and opened her eyes, putting both hands to the keys and playing a C-major chord.

"I can't believe that I was _scared_ to come in here," Sonny laughed loudly, the boisterous sound bouncing off of the walls. Chad's lips lifted just slightly at the sight, but it was still a smile. His hands were in his jean pockets, his eyes on Sonny, with a half-smile and his head barely tilted to the side, observant. She played a short tune that was light and airy, dreamy almost.

"You play, Munroe?" he breathed. It was almost too quiet for her to hear. Sonny didn't look up from the glimmering keys; just smiled in response. It was odd how she didn't realize how much she missed playing until she sat down in front of it and felt the electricity run through her fingers.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes yet again, slowly beginning to play something beautiful, yet almost unfamiliar. The melody floated through the room, dancing around the walls, and through their hypnotized ears. Chad stepped slowly towards the piano and the girl playing it, watching with addicted eyes.

The room began to fade once again, but the piano and it's player did not. His tutor slowly morphed into the beautiful, blonde-haired woman.

"_This is hard!" the small boy cried unhappily, quickly drawing his hands back from the black and white keys and crossing his arms._

"_Well, honey, it will take more than five minutes a day…" the woman chuckled._

"_But… but… it takes _forever_!" he scowled, his bottom lip protruding._

"_I didn't learn it all in one day, baby."_

"_I can't reach some of 'em!"_

"_Sweetheart -"_

"_I can't do it!" he whined, and he would have been stomping his feet if the piano bench had allowed them to reach the floor._

"_Can't never could and could never can't," she grinned, tickling under his arms and making him giggle._

"_Mommy! Ha ha ha! Stop - stop it!"_

Sonny's fingers flew across the keys like so many times like he'd seen before, but not for almost three years. He watched the smaller, younger hands float across the instrument with the same vitality and _love_ that he used to see… every day… but not anymore.

The melody and harmonies entrapped the senses - _his_ senses - and he couldn't look away. It wasn't that he didn't want to. He literally _couldn't_.

She slowed to a stop.

The room was quiet. It couldn't have been anymore quiet, especially after the beautiful tune had floated through the room that had been silent for so long. It was like the gorgeous sound still echoed in the walls, but it couldn't have been more silent there. Impossible.

"Not bad, Sonny," said Chad softly, his too-cool personality and deep emotions conflicting in a never-ending battle.

She opened her eyes again, sighing. She met his eyes for only a second before they snapped down to the ground.

"That felt good," she giggled embarrassedly, looking at her hands. "I haven't played in forever."

"_But… but… it takes _forever_!" he had scowled, his bottom lip protruding._

They sat there for neither was sure how long, staring at the glorious piece of musical history in front of them.

"Do you play?" Sonny asked suddenly, trying to make conversation.

"_I can't do it!" he had whined, and he would have been stomping his feet if the piano bench had allowed them to reach the floor._

He laughed to himself for a reason that Sonny didn't understand. "I'm no good," he chuckled to himself, a half-smile gracing his face. She decided not to ask. For whatever reason, this piano obviously struck a chord with him - no pun intended.

"Oh, come on," Sonny smiled encouragingly.

"No," he shook his head seriously, "really. You don't want to hear me _try_ to play."

"Come on, Chad," she laughed, scooting over to her left and patting the empty space beside her. "I want to hear you."

"Trust me, no you don't."

"I'm not taking no for an answer," Sonny grinned determinedly. "C'mon. Take a seat!"

Chad sighed deeply, almost a groan, rolled his eyes, and took a seat beside his tutor. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't even consider letting their personal space dwindle to this point, but this was different. She could just tell that his mind was elsewhere… somewhere far from anything along the lines of perverseness.

Chad lifted only his pointer finger and hit one note, the brief sound echoing for only a moment. He looked to Sonny to see if that would satisfy her, but of course it did not. She was still sitting there, watching the keys expectedly.

"That's not it, is it?" she asked him, glancing up at Chad with her brows raised.

"That's about the best thing I can do," he told her bluntly, remembering his incredibly low attention span as a child. Well… he actually still had it. Partly the reason for his bad grades.

He glanced over at her, expecting to see her disapproval, but instead saw her watching him. Her brows were pulled together and Sonny looked almost at war with herself.

"What?" he asked, almost chuckling.

Sonny snorted to herself and shook her head, looking away from him and back to the keys. Chad repeated the question, and in response, Sonny looked back and forth between him and the grand piano. Finally, she replied.

"It's nothing really," she shrugged, smiling to herself. "I just… I just never pegged you for a piano player." She was looking at him with surprised eyes, but it wasn't a negative surprise.

"Oh, I'm not," he was quick to say, putting his hands in the air like a surrender. If his friends knew that he was even _involved_ with a piano, let alone dabbled in playing, he would never hear the end of it. If his friends were the father and he was the son, he would be disowned. "I ride Harleys, not 'play piano'."

"For some reason, I'm having trouble believing that."

The tone in her voice caught his attention. He looked up from the keys at which he had been previously staring and to Sonny's face. She was looking at him in a different way, a new way. It was almost like… she understood him more. Not that she was anywhere _near_ understanding this complex guy, but it was like she just uncovered a new, softer layer that she would have never thought existed.

She flashed him a bright, cheery, signature smile. Her voice was supportive, kind, gentle. "Play for me."

Chad frowned and his eyebrows pulled together. He blinked. "What?"

"Play a song for me, Chad."


	18. Our Song

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Congrats to the 200****th**** reviewer, ****annecat****! Thanks so much everyone! Maybe by the time the story is finished, we might have 300! Wouldn't that be awesome? Here ya go!**

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**Chapter 17: Our Song**

She held his eyes.

Chad simply sat there, his conflicting emotions battling one another. He was a biker. He drank, he smoked, he did drugs occasionally when he felt like it. He didn't _play piano._ Well, the correct way to phrase it would be that he didn't _want_ to play piano, but he knew how. Oh, did he know how! Ever since he was seven years-old, he would sit down at the piano with his mother almost every day and watch her play. He would watch with the utmost observance and solitude, determined to hear the angelic sound that came from an angelic woman.

But, of course, he hadn't played in years. He hadn't even glanced at a piano since his mother left. Did he still remember how? Was there any truth to that whole 'muscular memorization' thing?

Of course he remembered. He knew that deep down. Any memory that involved his mom—good or bad—stood out in his mind... all the time. He remembered every key, every note, every mere _sound _that had come from her fingers. Every glimmering movement that she made, he knew. But did he want to play right now? Would it bring back too many painful memories? Hearing that song again... _playing_ that song... could he do it? Would it be too much of an emotional battle that he didn't want to fight?

He thought that Sonny had no idea of the emotional attachment to any of this, and for the most part she didn't, but she knew about his mother. She knew from her _oddly realistic_ dream that Ms. Cooper would play every day when she got home from work. But the bottom line was: _could he do it_?

Not remembering to tell his body to move, he turned towards the keys and stretched his fingers. Sonny smiled as he sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping as he looked upon the painfully familiar keys. Slowly, unsure, he began to play. Chad touched the white and black keys that his mother had so many years ago on that fateful day.

_Her favorite song_, he thought.

The beautiful tune slowly progressed, stretching and weaving around the room. Chad heard Sonny let out a breath, but he didn't turn around to see if it was good or bad. He was too entranced by the song that he loved, that _she _loved, that he hadn't heard for three years. One that he hadn't _played_ for nearly four.

Sonny was sitting beside him, grinning, her white teeth glowing. She studied his hand movements, the way his fingers weaved without hesitation and with passion. Sonny glanced up to his face. His eyes were halfway closed, seeing nowhere in particular. To a different time. He started over to the beginning, the volume softening. She was in awe. The beautiful, crisp notes echoed in her ears and in the mind. It was a tune that she would never forget.

It was an unnaturally beautiful sight. The 'unnatural' part of it was that there stood a rough, seemingly King-of-the-streets guy, clad in a leather jacket and tattered jeans, playing the piano with such swiftness and passion as a professional. The 'beautiful' part of it was what stood out the most, however. It made her want to stare... watch... _listen_ for hours.

It was odd... she could almost hear the story behind the notes; filled with love, innocence, an almost-longing somewhere in it... it was something that couldn't be described with words. The sound would have to weave through your hypnotized ears for one to really understand the naïve addictiveness of it. Chad's eyes closed completely, she noticed. The look on his face was foreign. She'd never seen him look so... in touch with himself, so peaceful almost. Dreamy.

Looking at Chad's rarely-at peace face with the music dancing across the newly-discovered room, Sonny found herself realizing that there was much more to Chad Dylan Cooper than she had ever thought. The biker tried to put up a front... a front that had begun to slightly sink into his personality... but there was more under that serious face. And she liked it.

If she hadn't been so ensnared by the wonderful music, Sonny wouldn't have realized that he had come to a stop. The sound finally ceased, but his fingers stayed on the keys, still pushing them down, restless. Chad was staring at the keys, astounded. He wanted to smile, and he wanted to frown at the way he missed the sound coming from his mother's fingers. He couldn't decide whether he was happy or not. Before Sonny could stop herself, she blurted out,

"I want to learn it."

This helped Chad to decide what to do. He settled with a smile. Of all of the things Sonny could have said, she practically orders him to teach it to her. He found this funny. Chad chuckled.

"What? I do!" she laughed with him, watching his face, which was still staring at the piano keys. "That's—" she shook her head, unable to think of a word "—teach it to me."

"So, you, uh... you like it, too," Chad said softly, smiling to himself.

"I love it," she answered honestly. Sonny asked a question that was irking her, considering that this particular tune seemed to be so important to him. "Where did you learn it?"

His smile flashed away as quickly as it had come, and she knew that she probably should have kept her question to herself. Chad's jaw clenched, making the veins in his neck stand out.

"Um..." he muttered, voice quiet and somewhat rough, "actually, my, uh... mom. She taught it to me. A while ago."

"Oh," she nodded, biting her lip. Sonny knew that she was pushing her luck, but she couldn't help it. "She played piano?"

"Sure did," he answered quietly, smiling almost. He was still speaking to the keys. His eyes became dreamy again. "God, she was great at it."

"'Was'?"

He didn't answer, and Sonny knew that she probably just said the wrong thing. The worst thing, actually. Chad chewed on his lip and exhaled through his nose.

"Yeah, was," he replied shortly.

"So, um, how long have you been playing?" Sonny wondered aloud, desperately trying to change the subject to something a little less touchy.

He, for the first time since he had begun playing, glanced up at her. She was almost a little disoriented by him after watching him for so long but never once making eye contact. He actually _smiled_.

"Ten years," he answered, sitting up straighter, almost proudly. Sonny's brows rose in awe.

"_Ten_?" she clarified. He nodded, his smile growing at her surprised expression. Her mouth was agape, making him grin even more. "Good God, Chad, you beat me out by four years!"

"Well, maybe you can be as good as me in a couple of years, Munroe."

Instead of a witty comeback like he was expecting, Sonny just turned her gaze to the shining keys and whispered, "Maybe."

She couldn't wrap her mind around that song. It wasn't so much _him_ playing it, it was... _it_ (the song itself). And the way he played it simply made the tune even more alluring. It was like it was his life in song form, revealing so much to her that she didn't know.

"By the way," he said suddenly, "if you ever tell anyone about this, I'll—"

"I wasn't going to tell anyone," she met his gaze _straight_ in the eyes. The sheer honesty that practically radiated from her almost took him aback. Chad could honestly say that at that moment, he gained a new respect for Sonny Munroe. Sure, he always knew that she was honest and trustworthy... but at the same time, he never really _comprehended_ it; especially for what it was worth. It had always just gone back to the point that she was a goody-goody—a HOT goody-goody—and he and his friends never thought past that. As the completely-clueless-of-what-he-was-capable-of girl sat there, smiling supportively and honestly at him, Chad felt his first real twinge of guilt.

Ignoring the uncomfortable way his stomach was twisting, he smiled back at her, appreciatively. Come to think of it, he honestly thought this is the most he'd smiled in one day in a long time. For the past three years, maybe.

"You know what?" Sonny said suddenly, her cheeks slightly red for a reason he didn't understand. "Let's put your skills to the test, Cooper."

"Uh, okay," said Chad, unsure.

"Play anything," she instructed him, a controlled smile tugging at her lips. Suspiciously, his eyes squinted, he turned to the keys and began to play a simple tune with his right hand. Chad began to understand when Sonny came in with her right hand as well, playing the same tune in a different key, creating a simple, yet sweet harmony. In response to her, he placed his left hand on the keys and played the corresponding chord. His tutor used the same chord in the different key, except she walked the chord instead of playing it straight. To the 'bad boy biker's' slight discomfort, he was enjoying playing around on this old thing more than he would have liked.

Chad then decided to change completely, morphing to a different key and beat, conflicting terribly with what Sonny was doing. The sound was dreadful, but Sonny just gasped at him in faux anger and quit playing momentarily. She watched his hands for a few seconds, then slowly joined in. Just then, he began to smirk, and went completely off-course _again_. His tutor frowned, not as jokingly this time, and tried to follow with a few deep chords. He sped up profusely. Sonny pouted, actually a little peeved at this point, and watched him with eyes narrowed.

"What?" he asked innocently after a few moments and she hadn't joined in. "Why aren't you playing?"

"Are you gonna change again?" Sonny scowled, making him smile smugly at how she was actually getting irritated.

"No," he shook his head. She didn't move, still eying him with squinted eyes. "_No_," he said again, an almost-smirk on his face. Hesitantly, Sonny's hands moved back to the instrument, but right as she played her first note, he swiftly changed to something in more of a minor key. The note clashed horribly and Sonny groaned, slapping his arm in aggravation.

"Chad!" she cried, annoyed. He watched her expectantly, his hands playing the same tedious tune over and over again as she sat there, arms folded. Chad didn't even look at the keys, he just sat there staring, waiting.

"C'mon," he finally commanded, grinning.

"Nope."

"I won't do it again."

"Yes, you will."

"I swear," Chad nodded, lifting his hand momentarily from the instrument, raising his right in the air as if in promise, "I won't do it again."

She watched him for a second, then joined. He stayed where he was. Sonny finally smiled, but it was small (he could tell she was holding that face-eating grin in), and slowly, he broke his promise. He gradually began to walk downward towards her end of the piano, changing the key again. Sonny scowled, watching his fingers determinedly and matching them within a second. Chad's fingers continued to glide towards the lighter bottom notes, and Sonny stayed where she was, determined to stay right behind him. He wasn't going to beat her at her own game.

Unfortunately, she was too busy with trying to stay on tune to notice that his hands were going to overlap her own in a matter of seconds. His body was drawing closer to hers also, since he was having to lean for his hands to continue descending down the sugar pine keys. Slowly, hesitantly, his hands touched hers, but to his shock, she didn't immediately pull away. Sonny did, however, immediately quit playing.

Her eyes snapped away from the piano and to him, trying to catch his eye, unsure of his intentions. His face was close to Sonny's, but he did not meet her gaze. He kept his face faced towards the keys, watching the way her hands stood still and his wandered over hers, playing the nearby keys and occasionally touching them. Sonny's face was still turned towards him, inquiring, only inches from his cheek. He could feel her uneven, warm breath on the side of his neck.

Finally, after for what neither of them knew how long, more notes joined in. Chad noticed that one of her hands had begun to move, but he still felt the moist, small breath on his cheek. Her other began to move as well, and they played together. Occasionally, one of their hands would have to go under or over the other's, and her breath always hitched for a fraction of a second. He couldn't help but notice.

Sonny's head, after for what felt like forever, finally turned away from Chad and towards the piano. They both became extremely aware of the music coming from them at the same time. It was beautiful. Stunning, really.

The sun was beginning to set behind them, and the orange glow surfaced through the window. Chad glanced at his tutor through the corner of his eye, and noticed immediately the angle the light shed over her. The shade of the rays and her hair glowed, her beautiful figure illuminated and the edge of her long eyelashes barely glowing. She was like a perfect Sepia picture, breath-taking to behold.

Realizing, disgusted with himself, that he was staring, Chad quickly tore his eyes from the sight and back to their practically twined hands. The beautiful notes that their fingers produced floated lazily around the walls, through the home, through their minds, through the closed window, and out into the quiet California countryside.

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**Chad's song is called "Beautiful piano music that touches your heart" and Chad and Sonny's song is "Piano Solace by Roy Todd" on Youtube . com . Please listen. The imagery is phenominal!  
**


	19. Remember Who He Is

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Thanks for all of the positive feedback from the last chapter, guys! I'm glad you liked the music. I thought that made the chapter. By the way, still waiting for offers to do a banner for this story! I have some pictures to use... I think it could be really great if anyone would volunteer to make it! Anyways, read and review! Alexa and I love you guys.**

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**Chapter 18: Remember Who He Is**

"So... how is Biker Boy doing in tutoring sessions?" Rachel asked, turning away from her best friend Sonny to take the ice cream cone being handed out to her. She took a nice, long lick from the frozen chocolaty goodness. Rachel smiled dreamily. They were on the beach that Saturday, taking a break from the SAT preparations that most of the Seniors were being required to take. They knew it wouldn't be long until the life-changing tests were bound to begin, and stress was building on every class-man as an unfortunate but predictable result. The little ice cream stand was about as big as a pickup truck, meant to hitch up as a trailer to a car, covered in white and rainbow stripes, drawing the eye. After all, it had initially been Rachel's idea to grab a frozen treat. Sonny had quickly obliged.

For the first time that Rachel had seen, Sonny didn't flinch at the mention of the bad boy. She still did not look comfortable, but much more so than she would have been a week or two before.

"Well, he's only been over a few times," Sonny shrugged, slipping three crisp bills to the ice cream man in exchange for orange yogurt, "so not _a lot_ of work has been done. But I'll put it this way—thank you, sir!—it could be much worse."

"It... 'could be much worse'?" her friend repeated incredulously.

"Yeah, it could," she nodded, almost a little shocked at the honesty of that statement as well.

"Sonny, this is as 'worse' as it gets!" she exclaimed, causing for a bit of chocolate that had been in her mouth to run down her chin. When Sonny giggled, she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand, struggling to keep a serious expression on her face.

"Oh, calm down," the tutor laughed.

"Calm down? Calm... _down_? Sonny, you want _me_ to 'calm down'?"

"Yeah! We're fine."

"Oh, so it's 'we' now?"

"You are totally misreading this," Sonny laughed again, totally unfazed. She stopped, popping a spoonful of orange-y yumminess into her mouth, then speaking to an upset Rachel. The wind blew their hair around their faces. They both had to put a hand on it to keep it out of their mouths and lines of vision.

"Am I?"

"Yes!" she chuckled good-naturedly. The sun shone off of her white teeth. "It's only been two sessions, okay? I'm not saying that he's as harmless as a puppy or anything. All I'm saying is that... he's not too bad."

Rachel looked at Sonny as if she'd just spoken in a totally different language.

"Huh?"

Sonny grinned, rolling her eyes. Her wavy hair swirled around. The smell of salt drifted from the nearby ocean. "He's been decent—you know, for him," she quickly added.

"Well, I'm sure he's not doing too well in the academic area of things," Rachel muttered, looking for any flaw in the situation that she could find. Sonny sighed heavily.

"Well, our time is still young," she replied. "He has plenty of time to catch up. We've only met _twice_."

"So... he was actually acting... you know... _nice_ to you?" she questioned, disbelief in her voice. They began to walk again, back down the shoreline like they had been before going to get a snack. Sonny hesitated before answering, her nose scrunching up like it always did when she was thinking hard.

"If he was any normal person... no," she finally settled for, remembering the subtle things he would always do that seemed to evade the attention of her mother somehow, "but if I know him well enough, I think that he is being nice... _for him_."

"Really." Rachel took a thoughtful lick of her ice cream.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you having so much trouble believing it? I mean, I know that Chad is _Chad_, but you're acting like he's soulless."

"It's not like I'm judging him because he's him," Rachel shook her head, "I'm judging him by his actions."

"What do his actions have to do with this?"

Rachel sighed, "Have you forgotten everything I've told you about Chad since you came to California? With two tutoring sessions with the guy have you just let everything he's done slip your mind?"

"No, of course not!" Sonny answered immediately, surprised at her friend. "How could you even say that? If anything, that's all I think about the whole time he's over!"

"Then why are you acting so nonchalant about the whole thing, Sonny?"

"Because I believe in him, Rachel!" she exclaimed, a little louder and more forceful than she had meant to. Rachel stopped in her tracks, an odd look across her face. But somehow, it wasn't an expression that Sonny would have expected from someone she had just unintentionally yelled at. It was kind of thoughtful, but still unsettling.

"You _what_?" she asked. It was quiet, almost inaudible over the rushing of the waves around their ankles.

Sonny remembered the actions of the apparent 'heartless biker' that was enough proof for her:

"_It'll help," she told him._

"_And what makes you so sure about that?" he asked, actually a little amused at the fact she thought so._

"_Because… I, um, I believe in you," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. For some reason that he didn't completely understand, Chad cut off his motorcycle and his hand went limp on the handlebar. He was looking at her with a look that couldn't be explained. It was befuddled, surprised, unsure, somehow thankful_.

"_You what?" he asked, and it came out in some form of an unbelieving laugh._

"_I think you can learn," Sonny nodded, smiling smally. "But you have to apply yourself." She emphasized the last statement. An odd feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach that wasn't familiar to him. This girl - hot girl - that he barely knew - but made it a mission to get close to - was telling him that she believed that he could learn - something he'd never heard. No teacher ever made an effort to 'tap into his potential'. No peers of friends ever said he was smart. His father definitely never told him that he was sharp._

_This feeling in his stomach was foreign to him._

_Was he feeling… proud?_

* * *

_Chad was speechless for the first time ever. He couldn't say anything but ask skeptically, "Really?"_

_Sonny nodded, smiling earnestly. "Really."_

_Chad cranked up his bike and revved it a few times, smiling at her. And it wasn't a smirk. And it wasn't forced. It was a smile. But he didn't roll his eyes. He didn't scoff. He didn't even say thank you._

"_See you at school, Munroe," he winked, speeding away before she could register what was going on._

* * *

_Suddenly, an idea came to him. It would be a good way to pass the time and get on her good side. "Is there anything around here that you might, maybe… need help with or something?"_

"_What do you mean?" she rose her brows._

"_Is there anything I can do for you?" Chad repeated, realizing the double meaning to that phrase after it exited his mouth. When she turned red, he continued hastily. "You know, anything around the house? Like, a Man Job?" He tried to laugh, flexing his biceps. Sonny smiled, realizing his effort to appease the situation._

* * *

"_I can't believe that I was scared to come in here," Sonny laughed loudly, the boisterous sound bouncing off of the walls. Chad's lips lifted just slightly at the sight, but it was still a smile. His hands were in his jean pockets, his eyes on Sonny, with a half-smile and his head barely tilted to the side, observant. She played a short tune that was light and airy, dreamy almost._

"_You play, Munroe?" he breathed._

* * *

_"I'm no good," he chuckled to himself, a half-smile gracing his face. She decided not to ask. For whatever reason, this piano obviously struck a chord with him - no pun intended._

"_Oh, come on," Sonny smiled encouragingly._

"_No," he shook his head seriously, "really. You don't want to hear me try to play."_

"_Come on, Chad," she laughed, scooting over to her left and patting the empty space beside her. "I want to hear you."_

"_Trust me, no you don't."_

"_I'm not taking no for an answer," Sonny grinned determinedly. "C'mon. Take a seat!"_

* * *

"_I just… I just never pegged you for a piano player." She was looking at him with surprised eyes, but it wasn't a negative surprise._

"_Oh, I'm not," he was quick to say, putting his hands in the air like a surrender. If his friends knew that he was even involved with a piano, let alone dabbled in playing, he would never hear the end of it. If his friends were the father and he was the son, he would be disowned. "I ride Harleys, not 'play piano'."_

"_For some reason, I'm having trouble believing that."_

* * *

_She flashed him a bright, cheery, signature smile. Her voice was supportive, kind, gentle. "Play for me."_

_Chad frowned and his eyebrows pulled together. He blinked. "What?"_

"_Play a song for me, Chad."_

* * *

_It was an unnaturally beautiful sight. The 'unnatural' part of it was that there stood a rough, seemingly King-of-the-streets guy, clad in a leather jacket and tattered jeans, playing the piano with such swiftness and passion as a professional. The 'beautiful' part of it was what stood out the most, however. It made her want to stare... watch... listen for hours._

_It was odd... she could almost hear the story behind the notes; filled with love, innocence, an almost-longing somewhere in it... it was something that couldn't be described with words. The sound would have to weave through your hypnotized ears for one to really understand the naïve addictiveness of it._

* * *

_Unfortunately, she was too busy with trying to stay on tune to notice that his hands were going to overlap her own in a matter of seconds. His body was drawing closer to hers also, since he was having to lean for his hands to continue descending down the sugar pine keys. Slowly, hesitantly, his hands touched hers, but to his shock, she didn't immediately pull away. Sonny did, however, immediately quit playing._

_His face was close to Sonny's, but he did not meet her gaze. He kept his face towards the keys, watching the way her hands stood still and his wandered over hers, playing the nearby keys and occasionally touching them. Sonny was still turned towards him, inquiring, her face only inches from his cheek. He could feel her uneven, warm breath on the side of his neck._

_Finally, after for what neither of them knew how long, more notes joined in. Chad noticed that one of her hands had begun to move, but he still felt the moist, small breath on his cheek. Her other began to move as well, and they played together. Occasionally, one of their hands would have to go under or over the other's, and her breath always hitched for a fraction of a second. He couldn't help but notice_.

* * *

All of these memories, and others, Sonny had been replaying in her mind quite often the past few days. Of course, their quiet... oddly nice... piano moment had happened about a week ago, but Sonny still thought about it. Often. That's one thing that kept her determined to help this guy more than ever. There was another side to him that he didn't want anyone to know about—that he had decided to show her, for whatever reason. Even if it was just for a few minutes, he still had decided to.

She never forgot that.

Sonny was about to open her mouth and tell this to Rachel, desiring to show that Chad was better than her friend thought. But, then:

"_By the way," he said suddenly, "if you tell anyone about this, I'll—"_

"_I wasn't going to tell anyone."_

She shut her mouth hastily, remembering her promise. Sonny Munroe was a woman of her word. If the story that Chad Dylan Cooper was a musical genius when it came to playing piano got around, she would betray his trust, and she knew that this was an important step in their friendship—if they were going to be friends. Which she really wanted to be. Sonny could tell that deep down... way _way_ deep down... there was more to him than what one would think by looking at him from the outside. You could never judge a book by it's cover.

Not to mention the fact that if it got around, she'd be dead. Literally. Chad would see to it.

"Sonny?" Rachel said, a little worried that she hadn't answered after so long. Especially when Sonny had gotten a distant, almost dreamy look in her eyes, she knew that she was remembering something that had happened.

Rachel's best friend's head suddenly snapped in her direction.

"I... I just know," she finally said certainly, her hair blowing back behind her.

"What happened, Sonny?" she whispered, her voice full of curiosity and wonder. She knew how cautious her friend was, so if she was so sure, than she wanted to know what convinced her of that. If Sonny was staring off into space, than it was big. And she wanted to know.

"I can't tell you," she replied apologetically. Her voice was quiet.

"What... did you guys—but... why can't you tell me about it? Sonny, I don't care what happened, you know that you can tell me anything, right?"

The confusion in Rachel's voice made Sonny feel even worse.

"I know that," she sighed, running a hand through her wind-blown hair. "It's just... Rachel, you have to understand, it's not _my_ secret to tell."

Her friend smiled softly, nodding. She spoke gently. "I understand. You told him that you wouldn't tell anyone, and you're keeping your promise. I can respect that." Rachel smiled, taking a happy lick of her chocolate ice cream. "Don't let your gaurd down. You're so nice, Sonny." She frowned. "You're too nice for your own good. And I'm just scared that he's going to take advantage of that."

That statement really seemed to hit her in the gut. Part of her—the part that knew there was a different guy somewhere inside of him—didn't believe that he would stoop that low. But the other side of her—the side that couldn't forget his dark eyes that she feared more than almost anything else—knew that he wasn't all good, and she needed to make sure that she always kept that in mind. Chad had goodness inside of him, but Sonny needed to make sure that she got all of that part out before she let her guard down.

"I know."

They were both silent, listening to the distant laughter of tourists and other people enjoying the sunlit beach and the swelling of the waves.

"C'mon," Rachel motioned, beginning to walk again, but backwards so that she faced Sonny. "Let's go." Sonny walked at her left side. "Let's talk about something else."

"You know what?"

"What?"

Suddenly, Sonny grabbed Rachel's wrist, smirking. It was her left hand, the one holding her ice cream. With a wild giggle, she forced the ice cream upwards and squished it to Rachel's nose. Rachel stood there, leaning over to keep the ice cream from dripping onto her sundress, incredulous. She wiped her nose furiously. Her eyes snapped up to Sonny, full of childish mischief. She eyed her best friend's cup of orange yogurt, and before they knew it, Sonny was racing down the shoreline as fast as she could, a laughing Rachel close behind.

"Come on, Sonny! I am _so_ gonna get you back!"

* * *

**Check out my (ChAnNyObSeSsEd) new one-shot, "Baby"!**


	20. Cheese Covered Snacks

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Alexa and I want to thank all of you AGAIN. It's all of you guys that make this possible. We are so glad we are getting positive reviews with this. I know that there was no romance really in the last chapter, but don't worry... the drama and romance is on it's way. Come on, every story has it's filler chapters! And sorry for not updating for a while. I was really busy with school and play practice and a pageant.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Cheese-covered Snacks**

Sonny's lips formed a large 'O' as she yawned, her eyes threatening to close and not open again for a couple of hours. She leaned her forehead against the cold metal lockers, disagreeing with her tired skin. She sighed heavily, the tapered bangs hanging down flying against the metal with her exhale. She had gotten absolutely _no sleep_ the night before. Sonny clearly remembered lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, begging the good Lord that she would be able to sleep. The next day had been Monday, and she had just returned from yet another beach trip with Rachel (one that had been completely void of any talk of Chad, thankfully), and she was having a great day.

Then the second she had gotten to bed, the room seemed to grow darker... less relaxing. Her once sleepy eyes were suddenly alert and wide. She watched the reflection of the light outside her window through her blinds and shadowed to her ceiling. Her ears were peeled for any noise of any kind, she could even swear that she might have heard a car pass on the distant road. Was this what insomnia was like? Wanting so badly to sleep, but not able no matter how hard one tried?

This wasn't normal for her; this wasn't natural. She was _Sonny Munroe_: always punctual, always smiling, always sticking to a day-by-day routine. Sonny had never had trouble getting to sleep besides when she was ill, so what was this? And why was that passing by car sound morphing to the sound of a motorcycle?

As Sonny opened her locker in a sickeningly slow way, she stared at the back of it blankly. She didn't think she'd ever been so tired in her entire life. This was insane. Sonny was always bubbly and energy-filled, so this was like... like... her evil twin! What the crap? Seriously!

"Hey."

Sonny's eyes turned slowly towards the voice, but the surprise she felt didn't stay long before it was overtaken by sleepiness. Sonny turned her eyes back towards the back of her locker, and before she knew it, she was leaning into it, her head hidden inside of the metal box.

"Hey," she mumbled, voice muffled inside the metal box. Sonny could almost feel his eyes staring at her questioningly.

"Someone—"

"Is a little out of it, yeah," Sonny finished for him. She could feel him lean against the outside locker door beside her own.

"I thought that you were always Miss Happy-Go-Lucky-Bouncing-Around-Goody-Goody... all that stuff."

"I couldn't sleep at all last night!" she groaned angrily, voice echoing in the metal.

"You gonna be up to tutoring me Wednesday?"

"Hopefully," she muttered. Sonny was refusing to take her head out of her locker, for more than one reason. 1) She was tired and the cold metal felt good. 2) This wasn't half bad! Actually kind of comfortable. 3) She wearing close to no makeup, and for some reason, Sonny wasn't comfortable letting him see her.

"Hey," he said suddenly, seriously, and his tone was serious, more quiet.

"Hmm?" she asked, not moving, arms limp. Her fists clenched uncomfortably as she felt a hand on her middle back.

"Uhm," he whispered, looking at his nervous fingers, "thanks for, uh, you know... the whole—" he looked around for any eavesdroppers, lowering his voice to a whisper "—not telling anyone about my... um... little 'secret'." Sonny smiled inside her locker. "It actually... it actually was sorta nice—you know, doing that again. I hadn't done it in, who knows, almost three years."

"Sure," she said sweetly, grinning broadly (not that he could see). "Anytime."

"You _haven't_ told anyone, have you?" he said suddenly, wondering why she was hiding her face.

"No! No, of course not," Sonny replied swiftly. "It's not like I'd go put it in the newspaper. Do I look like the kind of person who would do something like that?"

"Well, I don't know, I can't see your face," he said, somewhat jokingly. Sonny sighed.

"Couldn't sleep last night."

"Why?"

"No clue."

"Sonny," he said suddenly, serious again, "I need to talk to you about something else, too."

She prayed that it wasn't something that would be awkward, or perverted in any way. Wincing, she asked, "Yeah?"

"Are you taking the SAT workshop?"

"Yeah, of course I am. I'm taking all of the help I can get! You are, too, right?"

"Uh..." he mumbled.

"Chad!" she scolded. "Why not? I told you that you needed all of the help you could get when it comes to this stuff! Heck, if _I_ need help so do you! Why in the world didn't you sign up?"

"Because..." he shrugged, "it'd take time and effort and... I don't know... it slipped my mind."

"C'mon, go sign up!" she told him.

"Oh, come on, I want to see your face when I'm talking to you," Chad suddenly told her, grabbing her elbow and pulling her back, revealing a tired face and disheveled hair. He hid his rude surprise and bit his tongue. Sonny looked down uncomfortably but kept her voice strong.

"You need to go sign up, Chad!"

Sonny practically pushed him to the nearby bulletin board. Chad sighed reluctantly as his hand took the pen hanging on a piece of string. His hand paused, and Sonny looked up to his face. It was obvious that he would rather be doing anything but this, wincing and all, but he closed his eyes tightly with a deep groan and opened them again, staring at the sheet. His eyes were full of something else now, a conflict almost. He didn't want to do it, but it looked as if he had an unfortunate reason or a cause.

_He must not want to do it, but he knows that he has to if he wants to get anywhere in life_, she decided, watching as he slowly signed his name.

Little did she know that she was nowhere close.

* * *

**_That Wednesday_**

"So, since the root of prokaryotic and eukaryotic comes from the Greek word 'Karyose' meaning 'kernel', it is referring to the small size of grain. And since 'pro' means 'before' and 'eu' means 'true' or 'good', _pro_karyotic means...?"

"I don't know, Sonny!"

"Come on, Chad, we've gone over this," she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, once," he rolled his eyes.

"_Five_ times, actually," she corrected him, holding her tongue for further comments she wanted to make. "I know you have this, Chad. Come on, what's the answer?" She looked at him expectantly.

He held her eyes and she held his confused ones, then he finally said, very slowly, "I. Don't. Know."

"So, _pro_karyotic means 'before a nucleus' and _eu_karyotic means 'possessing a true nucleus'. Chad, you know this is ninth grade stuff here."

"Then why am I learning it?" he demanded.

"Because if you know what these words mean, it will help with a little trick I'm going to teach you to help you remember how DNA and RNA is formed inside of them!" she told him. "Remember that Guanine, Cytosine, Adenine, and Thymine are the four base pairs of DNA. Adenine can only pair with Thymine and Guanine can only pair with Cytosine. So, after Thymine and Adenine pair, uracil forms. So, naturally—"

"Sonny!" he shouted suddenly, taking her aback momentarily. "I don't understand a word you're saying. You lost me at 'remember'."

"_Chad—_!"

_Growl_.

They both were silent, pausing from their ruckus to look around. What was that noise? When they heard nothing more after a few seconds, Sonny turned back to him.

"Like I was telling you, it's—"

_Growl_.

They were both silent again, looking around Sonny's bedroom, curious.

"What is that?" Sonny wondered aloud, looking out of her window. "It sounds like something growling."

"I don't know," Chad shrugged, getting up and looking underneath her bed. "Maybe it's your little bitch of a dog."

"Chad!"

"What?" he asked innocently, still sitting on his knees beside her bed with hands risen innocently in the air. "'Bitch' is a the term used for a female dog. I wasn't cussing."

"But _he_'s not a female dog," she scowled, eyes narrowed. Chad smirked.

"Exactly."

_Growl. Gurgle_.

"_What_ is that?" Sonny cried, whipping around in all directions. Chad opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly interrupted before he could speak. "And it's _not_ Lucky! He isn't in here."

Chad got back up and sat down on the edge of her bed again, lying back nonchalantly with his hands folded behind his head. "Hm. I don't know then."

_Gurgle. Growl._

Sonny's eyes squinted as she looked at Chad. "It... it sounded less like a growl that time and more like a—" _gurgle_ "—stomach." Sonny's eyes lit up as they drifted down to the middle of his shirt. Chad's head snapped down and then back up. His eyebrows were raised in surprise. Sonny smirked with arms folded. "Looks like it's not my dog who's the..." she refused to curse "... B-word." She finished with an unsure, smug nod.

He glared at her before looking back down to his loud stomach. _Growl_. It was louder and longer this time.

"What the hell?" Chad frowned.

"I think someone's a little hungry," Sonny laughed, walking towards her bedroom doorway.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get us some snacks!" she smiled brilliantly, turning the corner before he and his self-reliant attitude had time to object.

Sonny was back about three minutes later carrying a big plate. As she sat down, Chad saw that it was nothing but a lot of cheese nips. He rose his eyebrows in a picky way, but when his tummy made another unpleasant, almost angry sound, he didn't think twice when he reached out for one.

"I know it's just some cheese crackers," Sonny shrugged, embarrassed, "but I'm addicted."

Chad couldn't help but notice how different they were right at that moment. It described them perfectly. The sweet little goody-two-shoes virgin from Wisconsin was addicted to _cheese crackers_, and he, the bad biker boy from California, was addicted to... well, other things. Things she'd never even dream of laying a finger on.

Just then, Chad noticed something else in her hand. It was a large can. He watched as she took off the top of it, and he soon realized it was some kind of spray or something. What it was, though, he couldn't tell, considering the label wasn't facing him. Sonny leaned the can over and held out a small cheese nip, pushing down on the nozzle. Out came a gooey orange substance who's smell was easily recognizable. He wrinkled his nose, smiling without meaning to.

"You put _cheese from a can_ on top of _cheese nips_?"

"They aren't cheese 'nips', they're _Cheez-It_s, by the way," she informed him. "And, yeah! I like cheese!" She smiled to herself, happy. "I am from Wisconsin, after all." Sonny popped one into her mouth, sighing in pleasure.

"Okay, then," he rolled his eyes. Was everyone from Wisconsin like this?

A long silence passed between them as they snacked on the _Cheez-It_s, savoring the yummy but simple flavor that covered their taste buds. They both sat there, chewing thoughtfully, thankfully. It was a long silence, but a comfortable one.

Suddenly, Sonny spoke. "You know..." she smiled to herself, turning a cracker around in her hand and watching it, "when I was really little, I couldn't pronounce _Cheez-It_s. I liked to call them _cheese zits_."

Chad laughed quietly for a moment, not entirely sure why she was sharing this with him, but thought it was—what's the word... _nice_. He didn't say anything, and when Sonny started to look embarrassed and shrink more into her chair, he felt obligated to say something.

"Um..." he began uncomfortably, unsure, scratching the back of his head. He was about to say something he'd never even thought about, let alone told anyone. "When—when _I _was a kid..." he trailed off, and Sonny looked up from the floor, "I couldn't say _Pop Tarts_. Well, I could _say_ it, but I didn't like to. I thought... I thought it sounded _wrong_, so I would call them _pock tarts_."

Sonny smiled, laughing a little giggle that undeniably would bring a smile to anyone's face—including a seventeen year-old bad boy biker who had been hardened by almost three years of juvenile behavior.

"Po_ck_ tarts?" she repeated, laughing. "That's so cute! How old were you?"

He shrugged, a little out of his comfort zone talking about this. Oh, God, if his friends could hear him now... he'd never _ever_ hear the end of it. "Maybe five or six."

"Aw!" she cooed. "Chad!"

But, suddenly, Chad couldn't help but notice how _alike_ they were then. Both shared a passion for piano (perhaps one of his _deepest_ passions) and they both had childhood stories to tell that made a smile crack along the other's face. Sure, the only reason they were together at this moment was all because of some little... well, very _big_ initation bet, but he couldn't help but think that maybe... maybe there was more to the goody-goody than he'd ever thought.

They continued to eat snacks and speak occasionally, and Chad surprisingly found that he was telling her more than he'd ever really confided into his friends—his _real_ friends, he had to remind himself. Whenever Sonny would try to mention school or studying, he would quickly shoot out another childhood secret that instantly made her start smiling and got her mind off of it.

Although so seemingly insignificant, they (particularly Chad) seemed to remember those small words exchanged for quite a while. And the smiles exchanged... definitely not forgetable.


	21. Unknown Guardian Angel

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: After this chapter, any ideas where the story should go? Kind of running out of material here. This is where you FABULOUS readers come in. Yes, I am shmoozing you :) Review, puh-lease!**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Unknown Guardian Angel**

"Are you going to that beach party Michaela Richard is throwing Friday night?" Rachel asked Sonny at lunch, taking a bite of her egg salad sandwich. A small portion of yolk fell out of the back of it and landed on her napkin. Sonny winced, staring at the dark yellow goop.

"No offense to your mother or anything, but that _can't _taste good," she grimaced, surprised the yellow slime wasn't crawling off of the paper towel as they spoke.

"It doesn't," she said nonchalantly, like it was an everyday thing. "Because my dad made it."

"Does he make your lunch a lot?"

"Thankfully, no. But it's either this, or the cafeteria food. And at least I can tell what this _is_."

"Touché," Sonny smiled, taking a bite of the pasta her mother had made last night.

"Now stop avoiding the subject," her friend scolded her, wagging a finger. "Answer my question. Are you or are you not going to Michaela's party this weekend?"

"I don't know…" she stared at the table. She looked up at Rachel with her face-eating smile. "I really want to because I want to meet more people and make friends! Don't get me wrong, you're great and everything, but you are the only person I ever really talk to." Rachel bit her lip unhappily. "But I know you don't like that kind of stuff."

"Yeah, only because she is a…" she looked at innocent Sonny, deciding to finish differently, "… jerk."

"Who is at this school who you _don't_ think is a jerk?" she questioned lightly, smirking.

"Not many," Rachel compromised.

"If I go, will you go with me?"

"Uh, ha, _no_, Sonny. I'm not going to go all of the way down to Zuma Beach just to go to some dumb party with a lot of dumb people." Her tone was final.

"Oh, c'mon!" Sonny begged. She pulled out her Sonny Munroe Puppy-dog Pout. "Are you _really_ gonna make me go by myself?" Rachel watched her, eyes narrowed.

"Don't think that face is going to change my mind," she shook her head.

"Aw man!" Sonny gave up, slapping the table unhappily. "You _are_ gonna make me go by myself."

"You have to learn; and it sounds like it will have to be the hard way," Rachel shook her head again, shamefully. "You'll never want to go to another one after that."

"Rachel, I think you're seriously overreacting."

* * *

Sonny sat on one of the many logs surrounding the fire by herself, holding a thin piece of wire with two marshmallows on the end, not seeming to want to cook. The heat from the bonfire swept across her face, making her sigh. This was nothing like Wisconsin. She would usually be freezing right about now, but instead she was burning up. Sonny would have gotten up and moved a long time ago, but there was nowhere else she was comfortable being. Every other log was taken up by people she had never seen before, didn't know how to strike up a conversation with, and teens of all ages were dancing and holding their red plastic cups high in the air. Bass-filled music blared from the large speakers surrounding the DJ table.

Sonny refused to let herself leave, even though she was having no fun at all. She had to make at least one more friend here tonight. _Had_ to. It was not an option for her. She was tired of being antisocial and only having one friend, it seemed like. She was so talkative back home, going up to anybody and everybody to jabber and have fun. But she hated the way California made her feel. She felt changed and timid, not Sonny-like at all. She despised feeling this way. This was not Sonny Monroe, and she wished she could show all of these people that. They probably all thought she was a loner; the new girl who didn't have any friends. Sonny just wished they'd take the time to try and get to know her.

She _had_ tried to talk to people a couple of times. Either introductions were made and smiles were exchanged, then they ran out of things to talk about and it got awkward, or guys (most of them a little tipsy) tried to hit on her. One had even taken her wrist and tried to get her to dance with him, but she didn't know him and he smelled strongly of beer. Sonny had yanked away as quickly as she could, but he just went right on down the line and found a girl within seconds. That's when she had decided to grab a few marshmallows and sit down on her own. She had hoped that maybe someone would be nice enough to come try and talk to her, but no such luck.

Sonny sighed and pulled her marshmallows back, gingerly fingering them and then carefully sliding one off. She popped it into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully, glancing around again with the little hope she had left. She was determined to prove Rachel wrong. She wanted to be able to go to parties in _high school_ and have fun and not always feel like the odd man out. Sonny heard a few giggles, glanced towards them, and noticed a group of girls trying to subtly look at her. She kept her eye on them, watching as they would whisper to one another and glance her way, then turn back around laughing. She certainly hoped they were laughing in a good way.

Eventually, one of them turned around to fully face her, and began to approach her. Sonny sat up straighter and smiled her 100 watt smile, trying to come off as nice. The girl smiled back, her short blonde hair windblown as she skipped towards her. She took a seat on the log beside her.

"Hi," the girl grinned, pulling some of the hair out of her eyes. Her voice was high, but somehow a little drawling. Sonny instantly got a vibe that she might not be nice, but she pushed it to the side. Someone was finally talking to her of their own accord, smiling and not hitting on her and seeming nice. She wasn't throwing that away.

"Hey!" Sonny smiled brilliantly.

"You're that new girl, right?" she asked, her smile glued to her face. It was almost a little odd.

"Yeah, that's me," Sonny laughed.

"Are you having fun?"

"Um, yeah, I sure am," Sonny lied, her voice not going up. She supposed she was so determined to talk to someone that her voice was weighed down.

"I'm Michaela, by the way. It's my party," she continued to grin. It was starting to look forced.

"Cool," Sonny continued to smile genuinely. "It's awesome."

"Thanks," she said a little dismissively. "Hey, would you mind doing me and my friends a favor?"

"Um, sure!" Sonny jumped at the chance.

"Could you go down the beach and find the cooler with the alcohol in it?" she asked sweetly. "My boyfriend, as a prank, hid it somewhere down there and I haven't been able to find it. Would you mind searching that way while I look around on the other side of the beach?"

"Uh, sure, I'd love to help," Sonny said, standing up and smoothing out the skirt to her sundress.

"Thanks, you're a doll," Michaela patted her arm. She pointed past the snack table and chairs towards the dark, empty beach. "That should be where it is. Somewhere over there."

"Okay," Sonny nodded obediently, putting on her flip flops and walking around the snack table and a couple of people mingling.

"Oh!" Michaela called. Sonny turned back around. "If you can't find it or don't see it anywhere, just keep walking. Straight. Even if it takes a while. It should be there!" Sonny smiled and was glad she made a new acquaintance.

"Sure! No problem!" she waved, turning back around to help her new friend look for something. If she found it, Michaela would like her even more! Maybe her time at this party could be salvaged, after all.

Sonny walked forward, smiling at the feeling of the warm sand between her toes. A warm, salty wind swept across the beach, making nearby palm trees rustle slightly. It gently blew against Sonny, making her hair fly behind her. She giggled softly and kept walking, keeping her eyes peeled in the dark for any cooler. It was starting to become even darker. It was maybe about 7:00, and Sonny skipped around the beach and twirled, the wind whipping her hair around.

Suddenly, she stopped. "Stop, Sonny! You are supposed to be looking for a cooler," she reminded herself strictly. She kept walking, looking around chairs and under them, finding nothing. She kept skipping through the sand, making sure she looked everywhere for Michaela's alcohol. Sonny stopped, turning around: darkness. She turned back around towards the direction she had been walking: darkness. Sonny stopped laughing and shut her mouth, very quiet. Silence. All she heard were waves washing onto the shore and the occasional wind. Nothing else.

Suddenly, she thought she may have heard laughter. It was distant, and she couldn't detect which way it might have been coming from. Sonny turned back around, and then whipped her head around again. A wave of panic swept over her. She didn't know where she was. Time seemed to slow down. Sonny quickly turned the way she thought the party might be, power-walking down the beach. Her fear started to grow, and she began to run. She kept running, almost whimpering. She kept running, and kept running, and kept on running. She ran until she was completely out of breath.

"Stay calm, Sonny," she told herself, turning the other way. Sonny planned on hopefully going the other way and finding the party. She kept her eyes peeled for light of any kind; a fire, flashlights, anything. Sonny, adrenaline pumping, began to run the other way, trying to remember the distance she ran, trying to add a little more to find people. She kept running, breathing heavily, seeing nothing ahead but darkness and beach. Nothing at all.

She was lost.

Sonny turned around and looked both ways again, seeing nothing on either side but beach. Empty. Lifeless. With her throat aching, it seemed to hit her like a brick in the stomach: she had been tricked. That's why the girls were staring at her. That's why they were sniggering. They weren't watching her to decide if they should talk to her or not, they were watching her because they were probably betting one another to go up and trick her. Sonny tried to stay strong, knowing that if she let a tear escape she would start to cry. She was lost without any means of communication, and the girls were probably back at the party laughing about how they tricked the new girl.

She sat down in the sand, rubbing her eyes that were stinging. Sonny bit her lip. She needed to stay calm and level-headed. That was what would make the situation worse: if she freaked out. She stood up, taking a deep breath and listening closely. She heard the distant laughter again, but it was too far away to be distinguishable. Sonny decided to try again. She began walking to her left, letting the water swell around her feet and letting it relax her; however, that nagging feeling of fear would not leave her. Sonny decided to keep going, sighing. If worse came to worst, she could go up to one of the cabins near the shore and knock on the door and ask to use a phone or ask for directions. It could be worse: she could be in a location that was not inhabited.

Laughter.

Sonny stopped, making sure she didn't breathe so she could hear whatever it was. For about ten seconds, she heard nothing. Then she heard it again, coming from her right. Sonny, alert, listened to the laughter. While going right, she heard it become louder and knew she was heading where she needed to be. Eventually, in the dark, she saw something tall and black. Upon coming closer, she realized it was a tall wooden dock. It headed further up and beach and away from the water, beginning at a hill of sand. It ran out to the water, and below it were large, heavy wooden pillars holding it up. Sand was surrounding the pillars below the boardwalk, the sand becoming thinner and thinner until it went into the sea. With a squeak of joy, Sonny saw quite a large bonfire below it.

_People_.

Sonny eavesdropped for a moment before approaching the group below. She heard a deep voice, obviously a man's. Then another man's voice, slightly higher. Then she heard a loud laugh from a man who's voice was more snarky than the other two's. It was so rude that it sounded quite clear that he wasn't just laughing to laugh, he was laughing _at_ someone. Usually she would not even think twice about approaching a group of total strangers, men no less. At night. Alone. But it was either ask them for directions or spend the night on the beach until morning when people woke up and came outside and listen to the way her mother ranted when she got home over ten hours late. She chose to ask for directions and pray that these men were nice. She put on a big smile and began her descent down the sandy slope. She weaved throughout the multiple wooden pillars, coming closer and closer to the fire with the men surrounding it.

Then it all happened so fast.

She saw a shadow dart out from behind one of the wooden columns. Her heart raced in her chest as a hand clapped over her mouth, almost choking her with surprise. A muscular arms wrapped around her waist and bounded her. She screamed against the hand, but almost no sound escaped. She tried to fight the guy off, kicking, biting, yanking, elbowing, but to no avail. A voice whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

"Calm down! Shut up and stop screaming, they'll hear you!" it hissed angrily, dangerously. But that's when Sonny froze. Why would her captor be hanging around this group of guys if he was trying to kidnap her and he didn't want them to hear? Sonny whimpered, a hot tear streaming down her cheek and onto the hand covering her mouth. Her kidnapper dragged her, struggling, a little further out of earshot. She was nearly crying now, almost too shocked to do much else. Her heart had never been beating so hard in her life. Her chest was cold and aching.

She almost fell to the ground when, for some reason, he released her. She spun around, the tall figure's silhouette almost all she could see. He was breathing heavily as well, but then he spoke, making Sonny's heart stop.

"God, you wore me out!" he complained. He ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"_Chad_?" Sonny asked, a great deal of fear coming right back to her. Every muscle in her body told her to run, but fear kept her frozen. Her mind flashed to his eyes: the death look. She could almost see the dark blue swimming, bulging out for her. She whimpered and she heard him snicker. "W-what… what are you d-doing here?"

"No, the better question is what _you_ are doing here!" he whispered angrily. His tone made her cower even more. He sounded extremely mad. _At her_. It was her nightmares come to life. "What _are you thinking_?"

"I - I was at a party… and I g-got lost," she stuttered out. "I was going to ask f-for directions…"

"You can't ask _them_ for directions!" he yelled loudly. He drew in a sharp breath and his head whipped towards the fire, but no one seemed to be looking their way. He let out a sigh in relief. Sonny bit her lip. She had been through so much the past month, especially the past hour alone. And he was standing here telling her that she wasn't allowed to ask for a way back home? That made her a little ticked.

"Chad, I need to find a way back to the party!" she managed to whisper-yell without stuttering, shocking herself. Her confidence swelled larger than it should have. "You can't tell me that I can't go talk to human beings when I haven't seen people for the past hour. I need to find my way back."

Chad growled, her confidence gone immediately and replaced by panic. "_Leave_. Now." It was an eerie whisper. Sonny huffed, having to let out her frustration in some way but was almost scared to make the violent guy more confrontational.

"I need directions," she said quietly, but determined. Sonny turned on her heel and began to walk towards the group again.

"_No_!" Chad yelled, lunging forward and grabbing her, picking her up. She struggled, afraid again. "Sonny, stop whimpering like I'm about to murder you!" She bit her lip as her eyes stung. "Look at me." Sonny refused to, his eyes what scared her the most. He grabbed her shoulders roughly, shaking her. She winced. He knew he couldn't force her to look at him, so he just tried to get the point across to her anyway. "I'm not telling you not to talk to them because I don't want you to, I'm telling you not to because you _can't_."

"What? Chad, stop, I need directions," she tried to tell him, turning back towards the fire. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him and enveloping her. She couldn't even move.

"Let me go, please!" She was starting to fear him again, knowing that she was making him frustrated.

"Sonny, I can't get across to you how dangerous it is for you to go talk to them!" he hissed, trying to be more quiet when he heard the talking die down a bit.

"Why -?" Suddenly, it hit her and she understood. Her heart stopped for a moment, then pounded. Her voice was gone for a minute. "A-are… are those your f-friends down there, Ch-Chad?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly. She almost couldn't hear him. Sonny remembered:

_"__And keep in mind what I said," Rachel said quietly, almost like she was afraid if she spoke loud enough they'd show up. "He's the nicest out of that group. So never ever go near his friends, Sonny. Chad is a dangerous, crazed, temperamental dog only bound to a wall by a thin rope. His friends are rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth dogs running around free and you don't have a gun."_

Sonny stepped back from him, her head down. She was breathing heavily, quickly. She whispered to him.

"Would… would they hurt me, Chad?"

Silence. A long silence. Deathly quiet.

"Yeah."

Sonny was silent.

"Oh," she breathed, stepping further and further away from the fire. She was wondering something, trying to get the could-have-been-graphics out of her head. "Why did you see me?"

He looked away from her, scratching his head uncomfortably. He looked aggravated. "I'm on watch."

"For?"

"Cops," he muttered.

"Oh," Sonny let out another breath. She couldn't believe she was talking to someone who was doing stuff like that. He was on _patrol_. For police. No telling what they were doing.

He looked back towards the fire, the talking not as frequent as it had been. Sonny saw a puff of white smoke come from one of the men. "You need to leave. Just keep walking," he said, pointing behind her.

"Okay," she said, anxious to get away to actual safety. She turned, started to walk away, then stopped. She felt like eyes were on her, like in her nightmares. Sonny turned around, and in the faint light, Chad was still standing there. In the distant firelight she could see his eyes. They were dark, malicious.

"You need to go, Sonny," he said, more forcefully.

She didn't have to be told twice.


	22. Unexpected Wisdom

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: To xmarkersarecoolx, yes, the mean girl did do that to Sonny on purpose. Cuz she is a booty-head :P**

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**Chapter 21: Unexpected Wisdom**

_**That next Tuesday**_

"Where's Rage?" Lawson wondered aloud, throwing his empty beer bottle into the fire like always. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and cupped his hand around it as he lit it. His eyes flickered from Rod to Chad suspiciously. Rod shrugged, oblivious also, kicking around the cigarette butt he'd just dropped to the ground. Lawson looked to the blonde, sitting there silently, like usual.

Chad smirked, "he told me he hadn't made his run by the strip club this week. Probably where he is."

"Hope he brings back some ladies," Rod grinned broadly. His dark hand scratched his chin as he fantasized hopefully.

"Yeah, man," Lawson chuckled, raising his small white nicotine stick into the air in a kind of toast. They both laughed, but as they quieted down, they noticed that the youngest hadn't joined them. "Chad, dude, what's up?"

He looked away from the dark waves and to his comrade across the fire. His eyes were clueless and his brows were raised. "Huh?"

"It's like you ain't here," Rod commented, turning his big body toward him. "You high or somethin'?"

"Yeah. Did you get filled up before you came?" Lawson asked. He smirked and wagged his finger like a disapproving father. "No driving when your high. You could get in a wreck." He clicked his tongue jokingly.

"Na, I'm not on anything, guys," he shook his head, staring at the fire in an infatuated, yet bored way.

"Then what's goin' on?" the oldest asked, taking a drag and letting it out through his nose slowly. "What you thinking about?"

"Nothing important."

"C'mon, it can't be that unimportant if it's making you stare at the ocean for no reason," he countered. Chad just shrugged dismissively, mouth staying shut as he rested his chin in his hand and looked out at the sea again, mind racing. Lawson's eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the oddly quiet protege of his sit there, staring at nothing, thinking. Chad never talked _a lot_, but he was especially quiet tonight. Abnormally so. "So, how's things goin' with your nice little virgin, huh, Chad?"

His eyes snapped away from the ocean and to Lawson so quickly that the object of Chad's thoughts became clear.

"Yeah, how's that goin', man?" Rod added.

"Uh, it's going," he replied, lifting and dropping his shoulders in a shrug.

"What do ya mean 'its going'?" Lawson repeated. "That doesn't tell me anythin'. Is it 'goin' good? Is it 'goin' bad? What?"

"I, uh, I'm getting there," he answered. "Trying to work up to it, you know. Get her comfortable with me. I mean, come on," he said, opening his arms and smiling smugly, "do I look like the cuddliest guy out there?"

"Hell no," Lawson shook his head, but his beady eyes were glued to the blonde still. "But why are you wasting your time with all of this 'letting her get comfortable' crap? Why don't you just do it and get it over with? Sooner it's over, sooner you're in."

"She's not gonna let me just 'do it and get it over with'," Chad replied, leaning forward slightly. "She's not that kind of girl."

"Sure as hell she ain't that kind of girl," Rod chuckled. "That's the whole reason she got picked, man!"

Chad rolled his eyes, uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading. The subject that he wasn't comfortable with practically forcing her to... do _it_ was about to come up, and they would make fun of him for it. Rod, Rage, and _especially_ Lawson wouldn't think twice before forcing Sonny against a wall and... well... getting the job done.

But for some reason that he didn't know, he just... just _couldn't_ do that. It was a level of invasion and horror that was despicable. His friends could do what they wanted with women, that was their business and not his, but when it came to what _he_ did... sorry, no. There were a lot illegal things he'd do and already done, but rape was not one of them. And it would never be.

"Who said she had to have a say in it?" Lawson snorted, smoke puffing out of his nose because of it.

"I'm sure she would," Chad countered, trying to keep his voice from rising. He couldn't let Lawson know how much talking like that disgusted him and... _infuriated_ him. And he didn't know why. He'd never liked the idea, but now, he disliked it even more than he would have, say, two weeks ago.

"That's funny, man," the dirty leader laughed. His laughter faded when he saw that Chad wasn't laughing along. "In all seriousness, though, when are you gonna do it?"

He decided to just go along instead of resisting what Lawson's morals were, pulling out a fake, but very real-looking, smug look. It was his signature one. Could not be replicated. "I don't know..." he grinned, crossing his eyes mockingly, "I'm pretty 'stupid'... she might have to tutor me for the rest of Senior year."

Rod clapped Chad on the back, smiling proudly, and Lawson chuckled along, but it was a little forced.

Suddenly, a rumbling was heard, and their heads snapped towards sound and the lights of the bike driving up. They heard it cut short, and before they knew it, Rage was walking towards them with a tall, slim blonde by his side. She, predictably, was wearing stiletto heels and a short skirt, a tight-fitting yellow tank as her top and covering all but her belly button.

"Hey, bitches!" he shouted, words slurred, indicating he was obviously extremely drunk.

"Hey, dude!" Lawson smirked. "We were wondering where you were. So who's this?" He grinned, yellow teeth showing, at the blonde girl. She just nodded at him but kept her arm tightly wound around Rage's.

"This is Katy," the red-head smiled, winding an arm around her waist and pulling her to him until they couldn't be closer, making her giggle. Chad rolled his eyes as Rage took a seat on a log and Katy sat in his lap, whispering things in his ear and kissing him. Chad usually didn't care, considering bringing girls back from the strip club happened sometimes, but for some reason, watching them all over one another tonight made him sick to his stomach.

In fact, come to think of it, this wasn't much fun tonight. He was kind of wanting to leave. He lived with Rage now... he would never go back with his father. Not if his life depended on it. But he was fine with going home to an empty, small little house if it meant getting away from this yuck-fest.

"Hey, uh, guys," Chad said suddenly, throwing his beer bottle into the fire and standing up, brushing off his leather jacket and stretching, "I'm gonna go ahead and leave."

"Where you going?" Rage asked, having to pause for a second after speaking to hiccup. "The party just started, m-man!"

"Uh," he muttered, running a hand through his hair and looking out at the sea once again. The waves almost seemed to help him think. "I just... had one of those days. Um, I... uh, I'm probably gonna go turn in."

"You're thinking about a girl, aren't you?" came a sudden, unfamiliar voice. Chad looked over to see that the girl, Katy, who had until now talked to no one but occasional whispers to Rage, had been the one who'd spoken. Her voice was high and sweet, not rough and scratchy like most girls they encounter, who smoke constantly. If it wasn't for what she was wearing, you wouldn't think she'd fit in with, well, strippers.

"What?" Chad asked, disbelievingly. All of his friends seemed to be thinking the same thing. First of all, it was shocking and weird for anyone to accuse _Chad_, one of the group's youngest young players, would be thinking about a girl in a non-sexual way. And added onto that, the person who accused him of it was a stripper he'd met less than a few minutes ago. Was it really bad enough to where a complete stranger would take notice?

"How old are you?" she asked, eying him in a curious way.

"Uh, eighteen... about to be nineteen," he answered, unsure, thinking this was odd and unrelated.

"You're young," she commented, looking him up and down. "What're you doing out here?"

Was she questioning his worthiness to be hanging out with his friends? He quickly set her straight. "I've been out here since I was sixteen," he smiled proudly. "Just hanging out. Don't care about anything."

"Really?" she asked eagerly, curious eyes lighting up. "Because it doesn't seem like that to me. Looks to me like you're thinking about someone."

"Babe, w-what are you doing?" Rage asked, chuckling drunkenly, but he seemed to be sane enough to realize the oddness of her sudden questioning as well.

"Hold on," she told him as he started trying to kiss her. She pushed him away and he frowned and sighed, looking at Chad in a 'hurry-up-and-get-done-talking-so-I-can-get-back-to-business' way. "So you're saying that you're eighteen, you've been hanging out here for years with these guys, and you just... don't care?"

"Uh... yeah," he nodded, almost a little curtly. Well, this girl sure was nosy.

"Why are you out here?" she asked, eyes narrowed in a confused way.

"I already—"

"_No_, I mean, think about it: why are you out here? You're so young and you've got your life ahead of you, kid."

"I am _not_ a _kid—_"

"Yeah, you are. You haven't even graduated high school yet. You shouldn't be out here. This place is for people who are throwing their lives away... and you're too young for that."

"Hey!" the others said defensively. Well, as defensively as they could with so much alcohol in their systems. She ignored them.

"I know that I've given up on my life, you shouldn't on yours," she told him. "And whoever that girl is that you're thinking about, keep thinking about 'er. Don't take her for granted, kid."

"Katy, w-what are you now? Some... c-counselor or somethin'?" Rage chuckled, trying to kiss her neck, but unsuccessful when she pulled away.

"In a sec, baby," she told him, holding up a finger. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Chad," he answered, looking back and forth between his friends and the odd stripper. Rod shrugged, obviously as lost as Chad was. Lawson, however, was watching him almost like Katy, except in a... _less friendly_ way.

"_Chad_," she tested the name out on her tongue, looking at him intently, "go." But clearly, there was more to that than she said aloud. She was really saying, '_Go see her_'.

Chad glanced down at his watch, which read _10:30_. It was a little late... and Sonny was probably in bed by now or about to go to bed. Whoa, whoa, whoa, WAIT! Was he actually _thinking_ about this? He didn't need to see Sonny... no, he _shouldn't_ see Sonny. Well, the more he saw her, the more she would get used to him, and the more likely it was that she might allow... more intimacy. But earlier, he wasn't thinking about having sexual relations with Sonny.

He was thinking about his future. He had been watching his friends that night, and saw them in an almost completely new light. Sure, they were still like his older brothers that he looked up to, but they looked less... smart. As he watched them drink, burp, smoke cigarettes and a little marijuana, he asked himself, '_Is this going to be me in four years?_' Would he have nothing better to do, nothing more prospering to do, than to hang out with your friends and someone in high school and get drunk and high? Would that be all there was to life?

He had been thinking about the SAT workshop. He had gone to it Monday (well, half of it before he ditched), and the way they explained things actually, for once, _did_ clear things up a bit. It made it feel less pointless when he wasn't sitting there so frustrated, trying to figure it out. It made more sense. Sure, he hadn't been planning to aim for a college, and he still didn't think he was... but it seemed like a _slightly_ less stupid idea. It still seemed like a lot of hard work (groan!) and effort and money, but it made a little more sense.

And if Sonny did it... maybe it had a purpose in life that wasn't completely useless. She was smart when it came to making good choices, right? And she was very pretty.

Okay, that was random.

He needed to clear his mind. Badly. And when he had to do that, Chad only did one thing.

He went for a ride.

Where he was going, he didn't know, but when he kicked the Harley to life, he felt his confusion rushing through him like the fuel through the pipes. He would let the machine take him where it would... where was unknown.


	23. Tree House Tales

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, guys! School and extracurricular activities added with no ideas for the story kept me from updating. Sorry!**

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**Chapter 22: Tree House Tales**

Sonny sighed as she sat at the kitchen table, looking out of the large window over the sink to the grounds outside. Many things were running through her mind, and unfortunately, it wasn't just school-related things. A certain biker was involved as well.

It had been almost two months to the day since she moved to California, and all of the past events were replaying in her head. Moving in, meeting new friends—well, _friend—_signing up for tutoring, meeting Chad and learning about him and his buddies, having the strange dream... actually _experiencing_ another side of him (it was hard to forget the piano incident), even something as insignificant-seeming as exchanging childhood stories weighed heavily in her mind.

She needed to think... _really_ think. And when she needed to think, she liked to go to one place: her tree house.

"Mom!" Sonny called into the living room, not looking away from the window, gaze locked on the outside trees.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to go outside for a bit, alright?"

"Okay, sweetie," she answered. "Don't be back in too late, okay?"

"Alright," she said dismissively, shooting out of her chair without really even meaning to, bolting into the foyer and out of the front doorway. Sonny smiled as the clean, clear air hit her. She shut the door behind her, running out into the driveway and letting the warm, non-humid wind envelope her and whip her hair. She ran towards the large, winding tree with her little house perched in the middle, but right as she was about to climb it, Sonny stopped. Come to think of it, she hadn't explored the entire grounds. She would like to go for a walk. Walking in the fresh air always helped one to think and clear their mind, did it not?

The sun had set an hour or two ago, but the bright, blue light that the moon provided prevented Sonny from having to use a flashlight or lantern. She walked around the bright green grass, blue in the moonlight, and weaved in and out of the different kinds of trees. A cooler breeze swept through their property, and the leaves all around Sonny rustled. As the wind whirled around her, it seemed to clear her mind as well.

One trying thing that was bugging her was that she didn't know exactly _what_ was bugging her! Was it the SATs? Was it the pressure of being in a completely new environment her Senior year? Could it be the pressure of taking all of these extra classes and tutoring at the same time? Maybe it was the reminder of _who_ he was. She couldn't even figure out _what_ was bothering her, so she couldn't try, let alone _think_ of ways, to solve the problem! Was there even a problem in the first place?

She was so confused!

Was she even stressed?

Yes, yes she was! She was stressed!

Right?

_Groan_.

She stopped, sitting on a bare stump and running a hand through her wavy hair. Sigh. What was the answer to all of this madness? The only time all of this chaos wasn't running through her head was when Chad was over!

And there it was. It all seemed to come back to him, didn't it? What were her feelings about the whole 'Chad' fiasco? At the beginning, it had seemed like a hassle; a hassle that she would always have to be cautious over. It was almost like she was tottering on the edge of a cliff. The view was beautiful and the breeze felt great, but she always had to make sure she was cautious, because if she didn't pay attention, it could get dangerous.

But that was at the beginning.

Sure, it wasn't like now she could completely let her guard down, but she had gotten to know him over the past month or two... and there was more to him than ever assessed. He was kinder deep down than Sonny had ever thought, and she looked for the good in people, so that was saying something. And they both shared a deep passion for music, it seemed. Piano particularly. But still, that uncomfortable feeling that the nagging little voice inside of her head reminded her of constantly was always there, no matter how nice of a moment they were having.

Just because she was curious about this side of himself that he always tried to hide didn't mean that she needed to forget who he was in the process. Yeah, he had a soft side. Most people did. But that didn't mean that his rough, dangerous side just disappeared. Sonny knew that she couldn't let her guard down... no matter how much she felt like she should.

The hoot of a nearby owl jolted her from her thoughts and made her look around, realizing how much later it probably was. How long had she been sitting there, absorbed in her controversial thoughts? Sonny rose from the stump, slowly, turning around the way she had come and began wandering back out of the small patch of forest. She made sure to make a pile of sticks in certain places, sure to not get lost at her own home. Ever since the beach incident, she was paranoid.

As she began to walk back to the tree house (she wasn't even _close _to coming to terms with herself), Sonny's mind flashed to the beach, coming to think of it. She pushed aside the hurt she felt at the thought of that Michaela and what she did to her, and remembered how hopeless and lost she had felt that night. And she wasn't just referring to losing her way on the beach. At the party... she had never felt more uncomfortable and awkward in her entire life. Then the anxiety of being tricked into getting lost, and then nearly encountering what could have been her demise not long after was enough to make her hit her head against a wall.

… What she _nearly_ encountered.

But didn't. Because of one certain person.

Chad didn't have to do that. If he was as bad as everyone made him out to be, he wouldn't have stopped her from continuing her path of unbeknownst self-destruction. Wouldn't he have just taken part in whatever his friends would have done with her? Did he feel an obligation to pay her back for tutoring him and trying to help him get into a decent college? Did he save her because he actually cared about her safety, or was it just some score he felt needed to be settled? Next time (if there _was_ a next time, and hopefully there wouldn't be) would he not take any action? She tutored him, and he saved her from possible injury: a tied score. Or would Chad take action and come to her aid?

Whether he did it for selfish reasons or not, nevertheless, he didn't have to do it. And he still did. That was enough for her. At least for now.

She climbed the rope ladder, craving to see the stars and bright, full moon. Sonny sat down, but didn't lay like usual, and watched the stars. What she would give to be up there... floating around the twinkling stars and worlds, unattached, no worries... that would be the ultimate vacation.

_I really need to stop thinking so hard about this_, Sonny thought, shaking her head in disappointment with herself. _I need to stop thinking so hard about _him_. I tutor him Senior year. I help someone make their life better. Then that's it. THAT'S ALL._

But the fact that deep down, that thought wasn't enough for her, scared her. It scared her a lot.

Sonny rolled her eyes and slapped a hand to her head as she thought she heard motorcycle rumbling. Thinking like this would do her no good. Why was she dreaming like this? Was it because he would be coming over the next day and she was anxious to confront him with all of her questions. She internally sucker-punched herself. It wasn't like she could just go up to him and say, 'Hey, Chad! What's up? Hey, I was just wondering, what were your intentions when you saved me the other night? And was it because you felt like we needed to be even or you cared about my safety? And if it's the latter, is it because you might have feelings for me? Because I have self-respect and we can't do anything like I know _you_ usually do with girls! Because, pffft, it's not like the thought of us being more than friends doesn't _completely_ disgust me anymore, psh! And if that's not why, just forget I said anything!'

Yeah, not gonna happen.

Ugh! Why was she still hearing that stupid motorcycle sound? _Stop, Sonny! This isn't healthy for you! He ISN'T here, and he ISN'T caring about you. He doesn't care about girls, that much is obvious. He has his way with them and then it's over. And it was pretty obvious when you two met that all he was looking at was your body. Don't be stupid!_

But no matter how much she reminded herself of the truth, the motorcycle rumbling wouldn't go away. So, to put her mind at ease, Sonny peeked out of the tree house door to shut up her fantasizing brain. What she wasn't prepared for, however, was to see a black Harley Davidson parked in her driveway, a distraught-looking Chad walking in circles, running a hand through his hair. She blinked repeatedly and shook her head, making sure that she wasn't hallucinating.

Just to make sure that she was in her right mind, Sonny called his name unsurely. "Chad?" He tensed and his head snapped around confusedly, looking for the voice. "Over here!" she said. He whipped towards her direction and squinted.

"Sonny?"

"Yeah!" she responded, relieved and panicking all at the same time once she heard his voice and realized he was really there. She waved her arm around to guide his way. He walked towards her, quickly, she noticed. As he neared, she lowered her voice. "What are you doing here?"

That was a question both of them wanted to know. He scratched the back of his head, shrugging. "I, uh... I needed to be around someone sane."

"Oh. Well, why aren't you with your friends?" she asked, propped on her elbows by the doorway looking down at him. He was at the base of the ladder now, looking up at her. From what she could see in the moonlight, he had a 'did-you-really-just-ask-that-question?' look on his face.

"That's who I was around," he said obviously. Sonny scrunched her nose in thought as she watched him squirm a little, explaining.

"Were they just no fun tonight?" she wondered, tilting her head to the side. Chad looked away from the ground and up at her, a half-smile on his lips as he shook his head side-to-side. "So _I_ would be?"

"Well, I figured, there's no one out there who's more of an opposite of them than you."

So, he just told her that she was the complete opposite of his best friends, people he adored and looked up to, and that was a compliment? She wasn't sure how to take that.

"Um, thank you?"

"It's a good thing," he smirked. But it wasn't a devious one. Sonny grinned her signature smile in response. Chad glanced around at the structure.

"Mind if I come up?" he asked, pointing at the tree house. After getting over the surprise of his politeness, Sonny nodded and backed away from the door, allowing him space to step in. He climbed up the ladder with speed. She sat down Indian-style underneath the sky-gazing roof, looking up at the stars instead of at him when he walked in, but didn't sit. Eventually, she tore her eyes away from the great view and looked up at him. Chad was glancing around, studying the space. He gestured around.

"What's this?" he asked, walking around the small space, noticing it's lack of decoration.

"I'm guessing it's just a fun place to hang out. I don't know. It came with the property."

"'Fun'?" he repeated incredulously, looking around with brows raised. Sonny frowned. There was the attitude she had hoped wouldn't be a asset with this visit.

"Well, _I_ like it," she nodded proudly, looking away from the killjoy biker and up to the shining stars. Chad looked around again, then took a seat underneath the hole in the roof as well, a distance of about three feet between them. Although the dirty, Lawson-taught part of his mind had all kinds of ideas running through it since they were alone in the little tree house, but he pushed them aside. Thoughts and actions like that were the whole reason why he left that dock and came to Sweet Sonny's house.

"Hey, uh, Sonny?" he found himself saying, not remembering to decide to say anything to her at all. She turned her head towards him with brows raised politely. He licked his lips uncomfortably. "Um, thanks. You know, for tutoring me. I, uh... don't exactly know how, but I really think that it's gonna help me out." Sonny smiled. "You know, for later."

"Sure. I'm happy to do it," she grinned. Her smile was face-eating.

"So, I... I really appreciate it," he continued uncomfortably. He wasn't used to being considerate and _thanking_ people. Let alone girls. "I was thinking..."

Sonny's heart rate pounded.

"... about colleges."

Phew.

"Oh, really?" she asked, trying not to show her relief. "What were you looking at?"

"Um... I was thinking about the University of California," he responded. "Or Cal State."

"What would you major in?"

"I don't know. I was kind of thinking I'd just wing it. Ya know, take classes and see what grabs my interest." Sonny nodded in understanding, not really expecting a thought out plan anyway. "Plus, lots of hot college chicks." He winked and clicked his tongue, and Sonny looked away with a snort and rolling her eyes. "Relax. Kidding," he told her. _Well, half way_, he thought to himself. "Do you know where you want to go?"

"Well," Sonny contemplated, lying down on her back and folding her hands over her stomach. Her eyes became dreamy in the reflection of the stars, "I've always had my heart set on going to the University of Wisconsin. I grew up there. I've always been a huge Badgers fan." She sighed sadly. "It seemed like a good choice then, since it would make me happy and it wouldn't be too far from home. But... now... I don't know how much of a good idea that is anymore."

"You can still go," he told her, looking down at her still figure, making sure to keep his eyes on her face and not... other places. "It's not weird for people to go to college away from home."

"I know. But, Chad, out-of-state tuition has gone up _a lot_, and my mom is here."

"Well, I get the tuition thing, but so what? You'll still get to see her."

"Yeah... but it's not so much for me. It's more for her. If anything goes wrong... if she needs me for anything... I want to be able to be a car ride away."

He shook his head at her selflessness. Even when it came to life-changing decisions like _her college_, she still thought of others first. How she did it, he'd never know.

"How do you do that?" he blurted out.

Sonny's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"How do you do that?" he repeated. His head turned back towards the sky. "Always think about everyone else before yourself. Most people have to literally _think_ about it before they act like that."

Sonny blushed. "I learned it from my mom, I guess. Every time I'd ever see her anywhere... whether it was when I was little or now, she'd always be smiling and helping others. I remember when I was five, my mom and I went to the grocery store, and I was _so excited_ because it was the new _Fresh Market_ and I loved going to the store and looking at all of the different foods. And I _really_ liked the cereal because I'd always have to make sure Mom got the right kind—the kind with the toy in it." Chad grinned to himself. Leave it to Sonny to get thrills from the idea of going to _the store_. "We were going down the seafood section, and I remember seeing a little old lady in an electric cart that couldn't reach something on the top shelf, and my mom went out of her way and walked halfway across the room to go help her. I remember thinking '_Wow. I wanna be just like that when I get older._' And ever since then... well..." she shrugged, trailing off.

"Wow," Chad said. "So your mom is pretty much your role model."

"Yeah," she sighed. "That's one reason why I want to stay. So if she needs me, I'll be there for her, just like she was for me, ya know?"

Chad looked back down at her, watching her watch the stars. It made him miss his last few years without his mom, but he pushed the thought out of his head. He wasn't some helpless little boy who needed his mommy! He was a man now. He didn't need anybody. Yet, here this girl was, helping him of her own accord, without anything to gain.

"Why'd you want to do this whole tutoring thing, anyway?" he wondered aloud. He wouldn't be able to handle it, that he was sure. He didn't have the smarts, focus, or patience, especially if he had to tutor someone like himself. But he probably already knew the answer to this question.

"Because I wanted to help people," she grinned obviously. "And it wouldn't look bad on a college application." She shrugged, embarrassed, at her last statement, but it was true. College was very important to her.

"So... since you wanna be so close to your mom... would you consider going to a college in California?" he asked, smiling.

She sighed. "I'm sure I could learn to love it."

"What's not to love?" he questioned. "Great weather, Hollywood, beaches. You'd love it here."

"I know," she shrugged, "but my heart will always be with UW."

"But you're gonna come here?" he asked, looking back down at her. Sonny realized, but he didn't, how persistent he was with the questioning.

"I don't know!" she laughed, her giggle echoing in the silence. "Maybe. I'll just look at my options!"

He nodded, ignoring the smallest of sinking he felt at the idea of her moving over halfway across the country... most likely for good. A comfortable quiet passed between them.

Silence.

More silence.

A soft tune.

Chad looked over to her, and her eyes were closed. She was humming ever so softly. It was a familiar tune. With a burst of what could only be happiness, he felt an ecstatic feeling spread from his toes to the tip of his head as he recognized it.

It was the song.

The song they experimented with. The song they sat at the piano together and played. It was the soft tune that lazily had woven around the upstairs room. The music they made together. When his fingers had overlapped hers, and an even more beautiful sound had resulted from it. Her eyes opened, and when their stares met, they both glanced away quickly.

"Sorry," she muttered, giggling uncomfortably.

"Don't be."


	24. Bodacious Brownies

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone! By the way, we're getting close to 300 reviews! Do you guys think that by the end of this we can get there? I know almost 300 people read every chapter within a week of updating, so I know that I could end up getting to over 500 if we wanted to :P But not everyone reviews, and that's okay. But I _really_ hope you do after this chapter. There's plenty going on for you to elaborate on :)**

**And to **ChAnNy:**I appreciate you stating your honest opinion. I'm sorry you are getting a little bored, but I am just trying to make this realistic. In real life, a small-town, self-respecting girl who is almost scared out of her wits of a guy who has a bad reputation wouldn't hook up with him within a month and a half in real life. Just give them time :) I'm not as goody goody as Sonny, but I know it'd take more time if it were me. And to everyone else: is it true? Are all of you getting bored? Because if you are, I will speed it up! I just want to make it seem like a real-life situation.**

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**Chapter 23: Bodacious Brownies**

"I went all Seventies on you bitches!" Rage grinned, showing his yellow teeth. He bounded up to them through the sand, chuckling to himself. In his hands were a pan full of warm brownies. He sat them on a chair in front of Rod, Lawson, and Chad, proudly, like a mother presenting Thanksgiving dinner.

Lawson looked back and forth between the ginger and the pan, brows furrowed. Finally, after seeming to debate himself on what to say, "What up with the _after-school snacks_, Nancy?"

Rage rolled his eyes and pointed at the lead biker with his good hand. He repeated Lawson's new fruity nickname for him incredulously, mumbling. "They aren't _just_ brownies, asshole! They're... _special_ brownies." As he had paused for dramatic effect, he glanced around the circle, smirking.

Lawson was still staring at Rage as if he had just announced that he was gay. Silence.

"They've got marijuana in them!" Chad suddenly shouted, rolling his blue eyes at the obviousness of it that Rod and Lawson obviously weren't comprehending. Understanding dawned on their faces and they were ravaging the drug-filled snacks as if there hadn't been a confrontation at all. Rage huffed.

"_You're welcome_," he hissed. "I hope you guys know that it took me some extra cash to get the, uh, _main ingredient_."

Rod and Lawson mumbled unintelligible words through the chocolate stuffed into their mouths. After about half of the pan was gone, the three looked up to the blonde who was just watching, a cold beer in his hand. The sun glinted off of his hair and glass bottle. They noticed he was not acting loopy in the least, and his fingers and mouth were void of any chocolate crumbs.

"Take some, Chad," Lawson said, curious as to why the boy hadn't touched the blissful brownies.

"Yeah, here ya go, man," Rod said through a mouthful, taking four and shoving them towards the eighteen year-old roughly. Chad shook his head and shrugged, pushing them back to the black man. He took a nonchalant swig of his beer.

"Why not?" Rage wanted to know, the hothead getting angry. "I spent big bucks to get some, plus I spent an hour in the kitchen tryin' to figure out how to make sissy brownies! Eat some!"

"I don't _want_ any," he told them, a little irked.

"That's just the thing, man, _I don't freakin' care_. EAT them."

"Well, if he doesn't want any, Rage, he doesn't want any," Lawson spoke up, shrugging. "More for us." He smiled a little too largely.

"Well," Rage barked relentlessly, "he is gonna take some! I didn't bust my ass for nothing!"

"Just take some fo' later so he'll shut da hell up," Rod groaned. To appease the fiery redhead, Chad took one and wrapped it in a piece of foil that had previously been covering the top of the pan.

"Really? That's it? You're just takin' one?"

"Fine!" Chad spat, getting three more to make a total number of four brownies. He wrapped them all in foil and put them in his jacket pocket. "Happy now?"

"Yep," Rage said simply, plopping down in a plastic chair and stuffing another in his mouth.

An hour later, as the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, Chad checked the clock on his cell phone. He needed to leave if he wanted to get to Sonny's on time. And he wasn't wasting a moment, if he could help it. Why? Because... Sonny didn't serve marijuana on a plate! Without a word, Chad stood up and left his half-there-half-out-of-it friends to do the weird things they always do when high.

Chad hopped on his bike and kicked it to life, speeding away towards the place he had grown to know so well. He was surprised as he sped through town that none of the stoplights he ran resulted in any harm to anyone whatsoever. No one even had to stop for him. Just then, he realized how anxious he was to get the Munroe household. Why, he didn't know.

* * *

He finally pulled into the circular driveway, cutting the motorcycle off quickly and spotting a smiling Sonny through the window of her bedroom. She waved to him and he did a small wave back, grinning. The door opened to a smiling face. Chad couldn't help but smile back. Smiles were starting to feel less foreign to his face than they would have, say, a month ago.

"Hey, Chad!" she greeted brightly.

"Hey, Munroe," he winked. He followed her into the living room, sitting down on the plush couch, actually looking _a little_ forward to studying. The more time he spent with his friends, the more idiotic they seemed. Just as they took a seat and Sonny began to open her book, Ms. Munroe peeked her head in the doorway.

"Hi, Chad," she smiled. He returned it, nodding. Sonny's mother even seemed to notice that his manners had improved in the last week. She was glad her daughter could have a positive influence on him. He seemed good deep down. "So, you two, I'm gonna run to the store really quick to get a few things for dinner." She winked to Sonny. "Don't miss me too much, sweetie." Sonny rolled her eyes and blushed in embarrassment. Chad's smile widened. Ms. Munroe turned and headed towards the front door, shouting down the foyer, "Behave yourselves!" Sonny's cheeks became even more hot, almost to the point of pain.

"Moms," Sonny rolled her eyes, "pffft. What are you gonna do?"

Chad just shrugged but didn't reply. Even if she was around spilling embarrassing things about him, he would love if his mom was even around at all. He never really realized what he had until it was gone, and he certainly hoped that Sonny never had to go through that displacement and pain. But once he thought about it... had she? Where was the dad in the picture?

Sonny flipped a couple of pages and skimmed it for a second or two. She sat up straighter and began to talk. To his surprise, Chad actually _tried_ to listen.

"Okay, Chad," she smiled, "I am going to go over a couple of vocabulary words for English. You've been looking over them, haven't you?"

"Once or twice." And he wasn't lying.

"What is the basic definition of 'aberration'?" she asked.

"Uh... departing from... the, um... usual course?" he pitched.

"Yeah! That's right!" Sonny gasped, unable to hide her surprise. This is the first time he'd answered _anything_ correctly. Even at times when she would tell him the answer then ask him the question over again, he would usually _still_ get it wrong! "'The act of departing from the right, normal, or usual coarse'. That was right on the nose, Chad!"

He tried to hide it, but a proud smile was pulling at the corners of his lips.

"Alright," she began, actually excited now for his record to go up to two right answers in a row, "what is the definition of 'maelstrom'?"

He was silent for a second, wracking his brain. "Uh... a large, violent... whirlpool?"

"Yes!" she laughed, clapping her hands together with a face-eating smile. Chad's spirits lifted. "That was exactly right! 'A large, violent whirlpool'! Can you use it in a sentence?"

"The... _maelstrom_ was very strong and sucked the boat into itself."

"Yeah, great job, Chad!" she squealed, embracing him before even realizing what she was doing.

He froze and she released him quickly, muttering apologies with her cheeks burning hot. He chuckled, saying something that took her by complete surprise.

"You are very _comely_," he winked. "I hope this won't be a _dalliance_. You are sometimes _demure_, but that's alright. You are _dulcet _and _effervescent_. You are _emollient _to my outlook. You have much _felicity_. _Halcyon_ is what you are. Sometimes you can be an _ingenue_, but that's okay, too. Sonny, you have a _lagniappe _for spreading joy. You look _lissome_ and _lithe_, and your laugh is _mellifluous. _You are _redolent. _I'm hoping this is full of enough _eloquence_ for you."

Sonny sat there, unable to distinguish what in the world was going on. The mere surprise of him using words like that took her off guard, so she didn't even have time to try and remember what all of those words meant. After a long moment of silence and Sonny staring at him in disbelief, she finally stuttered out,

"Huh?"

He shook his head, laughing to himself. "You need to study a little more, I think, Miss Munroe."

Sonny's eyes narrowed, and she blushed furiously. "Could you repeat every word you just said _slowly_ so I can write them down and look them up later?" He flashed a heart-beating smile to her.

"Nope. You need to study," he smirked. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he felt an unexpected pain in his bladder. "Uh, where's the bathroom?"

Sonny's brows creased in surprise at the sudden change of subject. "Um, down the hall to the left."

Chad discarded his jacket on the couch and walked quickly to the bathroom, leaving Sonny sitting there to try and think through what just happened. It _sounded_ like everything he'd just said had been complimentary, but she couldn't be sure. What the heck? She didn't even know half of those words! Sonny was in so much of a daze that she couldn't even remember what he'd said.

_Growl_.

A familiar sound filled her ears and she felt an uncomfortable vibration in her tummy. She groaned. Why couldn't her mother go faster at the store? Sonny was usually eating by now, if not the dinner simmering on the stove. She glanced around the room, trying to get her mind off of her noisy stomach. Sonny's eye was caught by something shining in Chad's jacket pocket.

Tin foil. Hmm.

She reached in and pulled it out, curious as to what it was. Sonny was sure Chad wouldn't mind if she just looked. She opened it up, and it was like it was fate. In it were four large chocolate brownies, stacked. Her mouth watered as she inhaled the scent, and something else was there, too. But the chocolateyness overpowered it. Sonny glanced at the door and listened, and heard and saw nothing. Psh... she was sure he wouldn't mind if she just had one. He had four big ones here, after all!

She took a small bite, and a sensation like no other soared over her taste buds. She shoved the entire thing into her mouth, chewing the yummy snack and swallowing it quickly. Sonny sighed, desperately wanting another. Her stomach growled even louder, agreeing with her.

_They're big,_ Sonny thought, shrugging to herself. _And he'll have two left. That's plenty, right? And I fed him a couple of weeks ago with the cheese crackers. He owes me!_

She took another and chewed and swallowed even faster than the first. She made herself promise to have no more, and she closed the foil and placed it on the coffee table. A couple of minutes later, Chad swaggered back into the living room, sighing and taking a seat where he had previously been. Sonny giggled, and she didn't know why. He looked to her, brows raised.

"What?" he asked.

Sonny shrugged herself, really unsure as to why a random laugh had escaped her. "Nothing," she replied honestly. She did it again, louder this time.

"What is it?" he demanded, smiling.

"I really don't know," she laughed. "By the way, Chad, what did some of those words mean that you told me? One was... demure, wasn't it? That's a funny word if you think about it, ha ha! _De_mure. De_mure_. DEmure. DeMURE. You know, it rhymes with allure, ha ha!"

"Uh..." Chad looked at her incredulously, smiling at the way she was making no sense whatsoever. Sonny wasn't really paying attention, though. She felt like flying, dancing, jumping, laughing, kissing, skipping, nonstop talking, driving a boat, driving a race car, going shopping: she felt like doing _everything_! She laughed again and glanced over at him. Her smile disappeared and she stared at his face, making no effort at all to hide what she was doing. It almost was a little odd. His eyes shifted from side-to-side uncomfortably under her watch. For the billionth time, he asked, a little irked,

"What is it?"

She didn't answer at first, but stared straight into his eyes. Her sudden straightforwardness shook him, but not exactly in a negative way. An almost misty smile spread across her face as she spoke. "You have very nice eyes. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Chad didn't answer.

He recognized that smile. He'd seen it only too many times on the face of his friends underneath the dock every other night. It was the way they looked as he'd risen from his chair today.

"S-Sonny?" he asked weakly, eyes as wide as dinner plates. She was still staring at him, unshaken.

"Yeah?" It was nonchalant and clueless as to what was going on.

"Did... did you have any of my brownies?"

That was when she looked away from him, down at the floor bashfully. "I'm sorry, Chad. Super... super-super sorry. I was really hungry so I had some!"

He tried his hardest not to collapse onto the floor. He gulped, "H-how many did you... have?"

"Two," she shrugged. "Sorry! Why?"

"Uh..."

Chad didn't know what to do. He couldn't tell her what the problem was! First, she'd smack him for bringing a substance like that into her house. Secondly, she'd smack him for even _having_ that stuff, and thirdly, she would look down on him, and suddenly, he didn't like that idea at all.

"It's nothing! I was just—just gonna give some to my friend."

"OH! Well, it's okay then. We're cool! COOLEO. Right?"

_Wait a second_, he thought. It'd already happened, so why couldn't he enjoy himself? Sonny was actually pretty funny when high, he'd discovered. Especially when it's the person who'd taken the drug's first time. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard another voice. He looked up to see that Sonny had turned on the television, flipping through channels until she turned to a certain one. On it was _Dora the Explorer_.

"_Come on, everyone! Vamos!" the little cartoon-girl smiled. "Sing with me!"_

Sonny stared at it as if it were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen in her entire life. Her mouth was slightly agape, and he couldn't help but snort in amusement. She looked hilarious!

"You know what?" she asked, as if it were the most crucial thing.

"What?" he chuckled.

"This show... this show is _completely_ inappropriate."

"Really?" he asked, trying to suppress his laughter. "And why is that?"

"Do you think Dora and Boots are _really_ friends?" she asked randomly, ignoring his question. "Do you think they go talk in their weird language to Swiper about each other behind each others' backs?"

"I don't know..." he bit his lip. This was priceless! He should give her marijuana-filled foods more often! "What—" laugh "—do you think?"

She suddenly turned to him, sitting up straight and smiling proudly. "You know what?" she asked him. She nodded, high and mighty. "I can speak French just like Dora."

"You can?"

"Yep!"

"Say something."

"I'm not good under pressure!" she exclaimed, closing her hands over her ears with her eyes closed tightly.

"I'm sorry," Chad laughed.

"It's okay," she said suddenly, her expression contorting back to normal as quick as lightning.

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Hey, Sonny?"

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyes glued to the screen again as Dora and Boots began to sing a song in Spanish.

"So you like my eyes, huh?" he asked, smirking, leaning towards her ever so slightly. He was going to take advantage of her loopy state and get everything out of her that he could.

She turned back towards him, eyes glued to his like they had been the TV screen. "Uh huh," she answered immediately, gazing.

"What else do you like about me?" he wondered. He not only thought her answer would be funny, but he was genuinely curious for reasons he didn't know. Sonny's cheeks turned a darker shade and she giggled. She pulled her legs up to her chest on the couch, hiding her face between her knees, reminding him of a six year-old about to tell a secret.

"You're very nice _wwwaaayyy_ deep down," she grinned, embarrassed. "And you're hot."

His heart skipped a beat. "...Really? You think so?"

She nodded bashfully, avoiding his eyes. "What do _you_ think of _me_, huh?" she asked suddenly, turning towards him, almost bouncing.

"Well," he grinned, propping an arm on the back of her couch and caught a strand of her dark hair between his fingers. He twirled it around, and she watched him. "_I_ think... you are _very_, very pretty."

Her eyes lit up. "Do you really?"

"Sure do."

"Wow," she giggled. Spontaneously, she turned away from him and her eyes were glued to the television. "Come on, Swiper! You can get that magical horn! SHOW DORA WHO'S BOSS!"

Chad watched his own finger as he continued to twirl her soft, shining hair. His eyes snapped from her hair to her face, which he saw as profile.

Right then, he realized something.

These feelings were more than just hormones that wanted physical action. He was starting to enjoy her company...

What the hell was wrong with him?


	25. Blameless

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updating. I've been busy with a play (ALICE IN WONDERLAND) :D By the way, congrats to my 300th reviewer, salwasaidoun231!  
**

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**Chapter 24: Blameless**

"And how exactly is this going to help you study?" Sonny asked skeptically, peering over her sunglasses as the wind whipped her hair. The two were sitting on the beach, facing the ocean and letting the salty smell fill their noses. The sun was beating down on them. Chad looked away from the water and to his tutor who was still peering over her Aviator sunglasses.

"Clears my mind," was his short answer, but he smiled charmingly at her before turning his gaze back to the water. This felt like the perfect time to have a beer... but Sweet Sonny wouldn't allow that when he was three years under legal age.

There were cons to hanging out with her.

But they faded away when—

He needed to stop thinking like that. Like, now.

"We don't want your mind 'clear' when you need to remember your material," Sonny shook her finger at him, smiling, picking up the math book beside her on the sand. She didn't bring the English book.

She had a feeling that he had vocabulary down-pat. And she did, too. It was hard to forget some of his... uh, _word choices_ the other night.

She remembered the hot blush that had spread across her cheeks that night after he left when she explored the magical world of Dictionary . com. Sonny was surprised she could still remember half of the definitions... for some reason, that night she was feeling a little cloudy when Chad left. Weird.

Sonny had been sitting on her bed, legs Indian-style, typing the web address in as quickly as she could before she forgot Chad's words. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the keyboard of the laptop as she waited for the internet to connect. Usually it was lightning-fast. Figures the one time she really needed it, it would decide to be slow.

Finally, after the few minutes that had seemed like hours, the homepage for the dictionary website pulled up, and Sonny sighed in relief. She clicked in the search bar and wracked her fuzzy mind for Chad's seemingly sweet dialogue.

What was that he'd told her?

At first, she _thought_ that he'd said she was... um... _c-comely_? Was that right? That was a word, wasn't it? Sonny typed it in and hit 'search'. The loading felt like forever. The result popped up, and her eyes raked it unforgivably.

_**Comely – [synonym] pretty, handsome, beautiful, good-looking, personable:**_

She smiled goofily, but made herself stop, shaking her head. She tried to beat down the tingly feeling that had been spreading from her toes to her hairline.

Now... for the next word. Wait, what was that word that had rhymed with 'allure'? And he'd said 'but that is alright'. Was it 'demure'? Yeah!

_**Demure – shyness, modesty:**_

She supposed she was quiet. Next word!

She couldn't remember! Her blurry mind whirled. What had he said?

"Sonny?"

She jumped, her head snapping towards her doorway. Ms. Munroe was peering in, smiling.

"Oh, hi, Mom."

"I made some brownies, sweetie. Do you want some?"

_Bam._

It hit her. All of it.

"Maybe later. Thanks, though!"

"Okay," she said doubtfully, backing out of her doorway. "They have a peanut butter middle!"

"No thanks," she said dismissively, her fingers flying across her keyboard as she typed in every word. Her mother shrugged and left, closing Sonny's door behind her.

Sonny grinned ear-to-ear, remembering it so clearly.

_"You are very comely," he winked. "I hope this won't be a dalliance. You are sometimes demure, but that's alright. You are dulcet and effervescent. You are emollient to my outlook. You have much felicity. Halcyon is what you are. Sometimes you can be an ingenue, but that's okay, too. Sonny, you have a lagniappe for spreading joy. You look lissome and lithe, and your laugh is mellifluous. You are redolent. I'm hoping this is full of enough eloquence for you."_

Sonny typed as fast as she could.

_**Dulcet – pleasant or agreeable to the eye or feelings:**_

_**Effervescent – bubbling, lively, sparkling:**_

_**Emollient – having the power of relaxing or softening, soothing:**_

_**Felicity – a source of happiness, to be happy:**_

_**Halcyon – calm, peaceful, happy, joyful, carefree:**_

_**Ingenue – innocent and naïve young woman:**_

_**Lagniappe – unexpected or indirect gift or benefit:**_

_**Lissome – active:**_

_**Lithe – limber, supple:**_

_**Mellifluous – sweetly or smoothly flowing, sweet-sounding:**_

_**Redolent – fragrant, reminiscent, pleasant:**_

_**Eloquence – the act of 'art' or using fluency:**_

Sonny stared at everything Chad had said about her. It was very flattering. _Very flattering_. And why he'd randomly decided to spew compliments to her that she couldn't understand, she didn't know. But it was incredibly sweet now that she knew what the words meant. It was his way of flirting with 'smart-people words' as he called them. And what confused her is that she didn't know if this made her happy or nervous.

Sonny snapped back into reality as she realized she'd been staring at the same math problem for five minutes. Chad hadn't said anything to her about her sudden silence, not planning on making her talk about math if he could help it.

"Um," she said suddenly, "I... I think a good number on your SAT will be very... very _dulcet_." Chad's head snapped away from the view and to her face, brows raised and eyes shining. The blue of the ocean and of his eyes disoriented her, but she didn't let it show. Sonny tried to play it cool, like always. And she was failing miserably, like always.

"You've been reading up on your English, Munroe," he smirked, his voice smooth and almost somewhat quiet.

"Well, I've got an SAT to study for!" she grinned hyperly, completely ruining any romantic moment they may have been having. She buried her nose back into the math book with eyes not on Chad. They were on school things, which was where they needed to be. The _only_ place they needed to be.

Chad groaned to himself and rolled his eyes, turning his eyes back to the waves. She was so hard to read. Suddenly, he had an idea. She seemed to like it when he used big words, after all.

"You know what?" Chad said suddenly, sitting up straighter and stretching his arms. "This is getting _cumbersome_. Why don't we do something... uh, _emollient_ instead of this?"

Sonny tried her best to hide the blush on her cheeks at the use of the familiar word. "Uh... why don't we not?" she suggested weakly, shrugging.

"I think you're lying to yourself," he said smoothly, leaning towards her slightly. She was holding her breath and didn't realize it. The sun was making his eyes a glowing blue, taking her breath away. "You don't wanna do math either." He pushed the book down. Chad looked around. "It's a nice day. Why don't we do somethin' fun?"

"F-fun?" She had a feeling that they had _very_ different ideas of fun.

"Yeah," he grinned. "Why don't we ride around?"

Sonny suddenly had an idea. "You know what? I think I've got a better idea."

* * *

"How is _this_ a better idea?" Chad asked a little irritatedly, an eyebrow raised. He looked to Sonny, who was lying down on her back and staring at the sky.

"It's fun!" she grinned brilliantly, trying to convince him to lie beside her in the tree house.

"_What's_ fun?" he demanded. He clasped his hands together in a cheesy way, batting his eyelashes. "Are we going to _lay down and watch the clouds_?" He imitated what she supposed was supposed to be a girl. "_Ooh, look! It's a bunny_!"

"Shut up!" Sonny snapped, a little more venom in her voice that she'd meant. She took a deep breath and calmed herself before attempting once more. "Come on, Chad! It's plenty _emollient_."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. They'd look like some cheesy couple in a chick-flick, watching the clouds. If his friends saw him now...

Chad lied down beside Sonny, scowling, staring at the sky unhappily. The fluffy white clouds actually _did _make him think of bunnies. Ugh. He swore, he could feel his masculinity slipping away with every passing second.

"Come on, you're ruining this for me," Sonny frowned, hitting his arm.

"Now you know how I feel."

She held her tongue for a second, pasting a smile onto her face. "Turn that frown upside down, mister! Just try it!" When he didn't reply, she sighed, rolling her brown eyes. She'd just do it by herself, then. After a few moments of silence, Sonny pointed to a slowly moving cloud passing by. "That one looks kind of like a face," she said absentmindedly. Still no answer from Biker Boy. She tried again. "That little one looks kind of like a water bottle!" Nada. Not a peep. Sonny sighed. She decided to try one more time. She pointed again. "Now, _that_ _one_ looks a little like a Harley."

"That looks nothing like a Harley."

Ha ha, success! She kept the argument going, smugly.

"Yes, it does!"

"Nu uh."

"Yes huh."

"'Yes huh'? What are you, five?"

Silence.

"It totally looks like a motorcycle."

He groaned, pointing upwards with his hand. "You know _nothing_ about bikes, Munroe. You see how it juts out in the front? That's not a motorcycle, that's a chopper. Choppers have the big extension for the front wheel."

"Ooh, my bad," she laughed, faking concern.

"Seriously. You were _so_ off on that one," Chad informed her.

"Was I really?"

"Yeah. You were. _Really_."

"Well..." she shrugged, eyes darting around the blue sky to other clouds as well. "I think... _that one—_no, right there—looks like a piano."

A deeper silence presented itself. His voice was softer, kinder almost.

"I don't see it."

"Yeah! Yeah, see, it's right there. Cut off one half of it and it is totally a piano."

"You are insane. It looks more like a nose."

"No, that's the wrong cloud! The one to the right of it."

"Oh. That one. Hmm. Na, I still don't see it. You're crazy."

"_You're_ crazy if you can't see that, Chad. Look really close on the left side of it."

Silence.

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'."

More silence.

"It kind of looks like my mom's piano."

Quiet.

"Really?" Sonny asked gently, wanting desperately to look at him, but knowing that it would make them both uncomfortable, chose not to.

"Yeah."

"What was your mom like?" she questioned softly. "You—you don't talk about her much."

Chad didn't know what to say. Normally, it was painful to talk about her, but he had a feeling he would feel guilty later on if he just dismissed it and ignored her questioning again. He sighed, uncomfortable.

"She was just... you know... a mom," he shrugged awkwardly, watching an anvil-like cloud pass their vision. "Just like any other mom."

When he didn't continue, Sonny cut in again. "What was she _like_, though? You know, was she nice?"

Chad laughed dryly, almost to himself. "_Nice_? Yeah, she was nice." There was a moment of quiet. All they could hear was a soft wind that swirled around the structure. "She... she was one of the nicest people I've ever met."

Sonny thought of her own mother and how much she looked up to her. She hated to push, especially on an obviously touchy topic like this, but he needed to talk about it. "How?" she asked.

"How what?"

"How was she nice? Like, what did she do?"

"She just... always smiled at me. Smiled at everybody. Made you feel special. She was really nurturing, ya know? Even to people she was just meeting. She was always so welcoming. To everyone. The gardeners, the butler, the maid, her friends, her coworkers, random people on the streets... me."

"What did she look like?" Sonny asked. Only did she realize after it escaped her mouth that she was whispering.

"Wavy blonde hair. Skinny. Bright blue eyes. Warmest smile you could ever see. Laugh lines around her mouth, I remember." His voice was getting quieter as well.

"Did you guys ever fight?" she wanted to know, remembering her oddly-real dream of him fighting with his father.

Chad was silent for a moment, and Sonny assumed that he was thinking.

"No, not that I can remember. I mean, I'm sure if she was around now we'd... we'd butt heads some... but ya know... she's not." His voice almost sounded a little strained at the end.

And there was the ongoing problem. The fact that she wasn't around anymore. And Sonny was pretty sure that she knew why. Considering that her dream had so far been so eerily accurate, she was just beginning to assume that it was reality, whether it was safe to assume that or not.

"W-what... what happened?" she finally gathered the courage to say. Sonny saw out of her peripheral vision that he bit his lip. Now was the moment of truth. Was he going to open up and talk about it or not?

"Um," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, scratching his face, "she, uh... she left."

"Oh," Sonny mumbled, pretending that this was the first she'd heard of this. "I'm sorry. Uh... do you—do you know why?"

When he didn't reply for a while, she was positive that he'd stopped talking and the conversation was over. But then he surprised her by speaking.

"I, um, don't know why, really. Well... I think it was all my dad's fault. They fought all of the time when I was about sixteen. I tried to ignore it... ya know, tune it out... but that only works for a little while. When they do it _all the time_, even when you're around and right there in front of them, it's hard to block it out. And... one day... I saw something that was the last straw." Sonny was deathly quiet, not missing a word. His voice became a whisper. "I was in my room... listening to music and looking at motorcycles on Google... and I heard a thud. At first I thought it was just a drum in my music or something like that, but then I heard it again. And—and again. So I paused the song and listened. It sounded like something hitting the wall.

"So I got up and went to go see what it was. It was getting dark outside, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't anyone trying to break in. When I was going down the hallway, following the sound, I found out that it was coming from my parents' bedroom. The door wasn't closed, it was halfway open. And, um... I leaned against the wall and listened, and I heard arguing. _Again_. But it was different this time. Dad sounded... _angrier_. And Mom sounded—sounded _more scared_. I listened again, and I heard what sounded like a scream. I got really worried so I pushed open the door."

Sonny forgot to breathe. She was listening so intently. When he didn't continue, she whispered, "Chad? W-what happened next?"

She heard him breathe in deeply and release it in a heavy sigh. An _extremely _heavy sigh. "She was on the floor, covering up her face. Dad was standing over her, his fists balled up. One of his hands were in the air, but he stopped when he saw me. Mom looked out between her fingers and saw me and gasped. Dad just looked scared, like he'd been caught. She got off of the floor and walked towards me, and her hands went away from her face... and... and her cheek was really red with blood pouring out of her nose."

Sonny couldn't stop herself from gasping. A cloud chose right then to cover up the sun, darkening the world for a moment.

"Oh my God," Sonny bit her lip, closing her eyes tightly. Chad continued as if she hadn't of spoken.

"She said, 'Chad' really quiet. I was just standing there, frozen. I couldn't believe what I just saw. I mean, I knew it was bad, but... I had no idea it was _that_ bad. My dad has always had anger issues... but I just never—anyway, I got my mom and shoved her behind me and faced my dad. He was looking back and forth between us like he didn't know what to do. I screamed at him, 'What the hell are you doing?'. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and was staring at his hands. Then my mom did something I would never expect. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and _walked over to him_. She sat down on the edge of the bed beside him and _hugged him_. Remember how I told you she's so forgiving and nice? Yeah, she'd forgive anyone. Even when they didn't deserve it. And my dad _sure as hell_ didn't deserve it."

"Oh, Chad," Sonny breathed, turning her head towards him. He was still staring at the sky, but his eyes were elsewhere. She couldn't tell what was the blue reflection from the sky and what was the blue from his eyes. "I'm _so sorry_."

He shrugged. He still didn't look at her. "It's done. It's passed. Nothing we can do about it now."

"And... and..." Sonny didn't know whether she should continue, but she wanted so badly to, "... she left?"

Pain welled on his face. She felt so helpless, not knowing what to do. "Yep. I went inside one day, after I got done working on my new bike... and she wasn't home yet. I'll spare you the details, but me and my dad fought, he stormed out, I got my stuff, and... I left."

"So... you don't live with your dad anymore?"

"Hell no!" he exclaimed, almost a little angrily. "Especially now that he lives with that little skank he calls a girlfriend."

"That was two or three years ago, right?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Have you seen your mom since?"

Silence. An incredibly long one. The longest yet.

Sonny was still watching his face, and it was stone cold. "No. No I haven't."

"Well, why not?" Sonny demanded before she could stop herself. "She was leaving your dad, not you! Why in the world haven't you guys seen each other? Why aren't you living with her?"

"I don't know!" he yelled suddenly, loudly, clapping his hands over his face. The amount of frustration, the anger, the confusion built up in his voice was incredible. It was like he had been holding it in for years and was finally releasing it. Which he probably was. "I don't know, okay? She never called me! She never even TRIED to communicate with me! She just... disappeared! I... I thought she cared about me! I thought we were a—a team, ya know? Me and her against Dad, against the world! And when she leaves, she doesn't tell me! She doesn't visit me! She doesn't do freakin' ANYTHING! And I can't help but think... what did I do? It... it had to be partly my fault, too." He was breathing heavily by now, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill. Chad was out of breath. He said quietly, sadly, "... My fault, too."

Sonny sat up slowly, watching him, brows furrowed and determination etched into her features. She fought back the sadness welling inside of her as well. He refused to look at her, staring at the sky hopelessly. The look on his face was enough to make her heart drop out of her chest.

"Chad," she said softly. His eyes stayed where they were. "_Chad_." Still nothing. "CHAD!" He finally looked at her, tiredly. She actually allowed for her eyes to sink into his, meaningfully. "You... you know it wasn't you're fault, don't you?" He looked away from her again, not responding. "Don't you?"

"I don't know. Do I?"

"You should!" she commanded, more forcefully that he'd ever thought could come out of her mouth. "Chad, you didn't do anything wrong! How could you think that any of it was _your fault_?"

"I don't know, Sonny!" he yelled, sitting up as well. "Then why does she act like I don't exist? If she cared about me at all, then—"

"You don't know that!" she told him forcefully, shaking his shoulder. "You don't know what her reasoning was! Maybe... maybe she's trying to protect you or something!"

"Psh, protect me form what?" he demanded. "_Protect me from what_?"

"I...I don't know!"

"Exactly."

"But, Chad, my point is that you can't blame yourself for what happened between your parents! You've... you've got to have closure."

"Closure my ass," he hissed, rolling his eyes. "It's—"

"—not your fault," she finished for him. "Look at me, Chad! _Look at me_." He groaned and rolled his eyes and, annoyed, looked to her. His eyes were growing red, she noticed. "When my parents divorced, you'd have no idea how many times I asked myself if it was my fault! He left, they had a court date and signed the divorce papers, had a nasty custody battle, and I didn't know what to do! And I didn't know what parent I wanted to stay with because I didn't know if it was because of me or one of my parents... and whatever parent's fault it was if it _was_ their fault, I didn't want to stay with them! I was so confused and... I felt like my whole world was falling apart."

His eyes were shining and he blinked profusely as he watched her stare intently at him, her eyes shining as well from memories of a painful past. Chad couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had been wondering where her dad was.

"But you know what?" she continued softly, a single tear falling down her cheek. "I had to come to terms with myself and realize that what happened between my parents was their business and... and I just happened to be in the middle of it." When he backed away from her trying to hide how he was wiping at his eyes, she muttered, "It's _not your fault_, Chad. It's not." He looked up at her, eyes even redder against the blue of his irises. She gave him a watery smile. She whispered one more time, almost too softly to hear, "It's not."

They sat there for neither of them knew how long, staring at one another thankfully. She gave him one of her full-fledged smiles, laughing almost in an exhausted way. Sonny wiped her eye, embarrassed, as did Chad. Before they knew it, they were both laughing. Why, they didn't know.

"Thanks," he whispered. He'd never talked about this to anyone, especially his friends.

"No problem," she smiled uneasily, scratching the back of her neck. What an oddly dramatic conversation.

"You know," he began, watching her with an intensity that made her self-conscious, "you remind me a lot of her."

"Of who?"

"My mom," he answered simply.

Sonny looked around uncomfortably. "Um, thanks?"

"I _mean_," he elaborated, smiling genuinely, "you're nice. And nurturing. And you care about other people before yourself. Like her."

"Does that make you feel better?" she asked, curious. "Because you know that I'm never just gonna abandon you, Chad. I might just be your tutor, but—"

"Is that all you are?" he asked, staring at her in a soft way. It made her heart thump.

"W-what do you mean?"

He licked his lips in a thoughtful way, his eyes casting to the floor then locking with hers again. "Well, I don't know about you, Sonny, but... you're more to me than just my tutor."

She was dreaming. She had to be. This couldn't be real.

"Huh?"

He was drawing closer to her, Sonny's heart pounded painfully in her chest. She didn't know what to do! She'd always planned for this moment, but the situation had been different in her mind. He would have been trying to come onto her (she hoped that wasn't what he was doing now) and she would have to reject him of course, because she was a self-respecting girl. But... this was different. This wasn't part of her plan. She hadn't planned on him looking so helpless, so genuine... and she hadn't planned on feeling _happy_ when he starting leaning towards her, either.

Was she feeling happy?

…Yes. Yes, she was.

Could she push him away? When he was so vulnerable? When he actually seemed like he wanted to do it because he wanted to, not because he wanted to sleep with her? And when she wanted to badly as well? What was she to do?

The answer was obvious, but she couldn't believe it would be the answer she'd choose. But she wanted to. So badly. But they were sharing everything right? So she couldn't help but voice her doubt.

He was about a foot away from her, moving in so very slowly.

"We... we shouldn't be doing this," she muttered, but her eyes told him otherwise.

"I know," he answered, looking back and forth between her eyes and her full lips. They were still slowly closing the distance. The clearance was a foot.

"I...I don't know if... if this is a good idea," she said weakly. Clearance: 10 inches.

"Completely understandable." Open space: 6 inches.

"Maybe—maybe we should o-or shouldn't..."

"You're probably right," he whispered, eyes halfway open as they drew nearer. Sonny could feel his hot breath fanning her, and her heart rate increased (if that was possible). Space amount: 2 inches.

Their eyes were slowly beginning close, mouths opening slightly in anticipation. The feelings surging through them were new to both of them, and with Chad being as 'experienced' as he was, that was saying something.

"I... um..."

Clearance: _zero_.

It was like a long-awaited treat that a five year-old was receiving after hours of waiting. Their soft lips pressed together at last. They kissed slowly at first, their mouths moving in sync with one another. Chad's hand reached around the back of her neck and his thumb stroked her cheek. Sonny had no idea that he was capable of kissing so gently, so... _softly_, like he was scared she was breakable. She had at least expected it to be rough, considering that he was who he was. But to both of their surprises, Sonny was the one who made advances. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened it ever so slightly.

Chad wasn't sure how to react to that, considering that, to his surprise, he didn't want what he thought he'd want at this moment. He'd always planned to make it hot, passionate, get her riled. But that was the last thing on his mind now. All he wanted was to show her that he cared... that he was so thankful for everything she'd done for him, how she'd treated him, helped him, _changed him_. He complied, but if anything, he was more on his guard than she was.

She pulled away, but only barely, just enough so she could look at him. Her cheeks burned at the embarrassing sound their lips made when coming apart. She smiled, laughing almost in disbelief. It'd happened.

He smiled back at her, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear. It seemed to really hit them both then. What they'd just done. Chad grinned. Finally, the wall was broken down between them. Or at least, partly.

"Well, I'm glad we did," he whispered in response to her _literal _last-minute doubts, smiling his attractive half-smile. She giggled uncomfortably, leaning her forehead against his. Still smiling, Sonny closed in again and kissed him quickly, enjoying the sensation more than she knew she should. She drew away faster than he would have liked.

"So, are you sure it's not my fault?" he asked suddenly, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"What? Chad, of course it's not—"

"Because I might need more convincing..."

Kiss.

She laughed as he pulled her closer than before and kissed her with a little more energy, a little more playfully. Sonny pulled away and pecked his lips once more. She withdrew her arms and took his hand, lying back down on the floor and staring at the sky. They watched clouds for neither of them knew how long, just talking. He wrapped his arm behind her head and she lied her head down on his chest. For someone who supposedly drank and smoke occasionally, he smelled pretty good, she noticed. She liked it. It was an almost musty smell, but there was an underlying scent of sweetness.

The sky slowly transitioned to a cloudless night, the stars shining bright. Instead of looking for shapes now, they searched for constellations. It would help Chad remember certain Greek philosophers, anyway. She was tutoring him without him even knowing.

He played with her hair while she spotted Orion's Belt, stars in her eyes. As she animatedly explained about it, he came to an epiphany.

Something had happened that he thought didn't exist. That he'd thought would never happen to him. What he and his friends made fun of all of the time. But now that he caught the bug, the thought of mocking it made him sick.

He was in love.

_Shit_.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, how did you like it? There is a song for the kiss, by the way. It is PERFECT for it, I think. It will help so much with the mood and imagery of the story if you listen while reading. It is Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine.**


	26. HE'S with HER?

**Summary:** **A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Wow. Lots of reviews. Lots of smiles :)**

* * *

**Chapter 25: HE'S with HER?**

Sonny covered her mouth with her hand, desperate to keep the giggles threatening to escape suppressed. She peered across the rows of desks full of students at the blonde clad in leather, winking at her. The unlucky people between her and Chad looked back and forth between them, at first shocked when they thought the boy was winking at _them_. Some of the girls had gotten an unexpected thrill, but Sonny tried her best to ignore the obvious looks of glee on their faces. Many of the classmates watched the exchange with pure surprise and shock. Who would have ever expected the _goody-goody_ to end up with the school's worst bad boy, especially when she had refused offers from more gentleman-like guys?

Well, none were _gentleman_ exactly, but any guy was a gentleman compared to Chad. Anyone with eyes could see that.

The teacher of English 12 seemed oblivious to the distraction going on behind her back as she rambled, scribbling on the dry-erase board with her back to the class. It wasn't long before every single pair of eyes (excluding the teacher's) were watching the flirting curiously. Even the 'geeks' were watching with astonished stares. Girls were whispering to each other, spreading words of disgust, surprise, amusement.

"Can you believe _that_?" a lanky brunette whispered to her friend across from her. "I mean, _look at it_!"

"I know!" her friend whispered back. "What the hell?"

"The sweet _new girl_... with _him_?" she hissed.

"I don't know what's going on," the other shrugged. She tucked her red hair behind her ear and leaned in closer to quietly gossip with her buddy. "How could _Sonny_ be with _Chad_? She's so... not his type! And he's so... not her's! And she goes around refusing any guy trying to make a move on her, and she says yes to _him_?"

"I know, right?" the girl snickered. "She refused Toby the other day. _Toby_. She says no to that courteous _hunk_ of Southern sweetness? And then she goes off flirting with Chad, who treats girls like they are a piece of trash?"

Her friend shrugged her shoulders again. "Beats me." The two watched him mouth something to Sonny and kiss the air, clearly directed at her. Their mouths dropped open simultaneously. They both thought the same thing at exactly the same time. "_Do you think they've slept together_?"

The brunette continued to subtly watch the exchange with calculating eyes. Her dark brown irises swept back and forth between the two, critical, with brows furrowed. Finally, she came to a conclusion. "Nope."

Her friend watched them too and turned back to the brown-head. "Why do you say that? Watch them!"

"I did. And it's obvious. They haven't had sex."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, for one, he's _paying attention to her_. That should tell you enough. He has a reputation for leaving and dumping the girl the second he's finished with her. _I'd_ know that."

Her friend nodded solemnly. She watched them again. "Yeah, you're right. He's not pretending she doesn't exist, so he hasn't gotten what he's wanted yet. Chad's still reeling her in." A moment of silence passed as they watched Sonny's deep blush. "Do you think we should warn her?"

"What? Hell no! She's got to learn for herself to listen to the hype about people. I'm sure she's been warned plenty of times. Sonny's buddied up with Rachel, right? You know how paranoid she is. She's probably warned her a billion times!"

The brunette's friend whispered, "You're right. But, hey, if Toby has been turned down, which almost never happens, than I bet he's in the dumps. Which means you can get the rebound!"

The brunette grinned. "You know what? I like the new girl."

Chad's smile (which was a new sight to everyone in the class, not a smirk) grew as Sonny rolled her eyes at him and stuck out her tongue. He sent her a wink again, the kind he knew that made her turn red from head to toe. It worked, predictably. You know what? He wanted to see her again. Tonight. Maybe he could take her out. And not to a bar. Maybe a _Wendy's_ or something. Sure, it wasn't classy, but he had practically no money. His dad's funds for him had disappeared the second Chad had from the house. It was the best he could do. Plus, Sonny wasn't the kind of person who would mind. The thought was all that counted for her. They could just go right after school, so her mother wouldn't be upset at the fact she'd be out during dark. He could just give her a ride on his bike!

He decided to try and communicate this to Sonny. Chad mimicked holding handlebars and steering, and pointed to her and then to himself. Then he mouthed the words 'after school'. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

'What?' she mouthed.

He tried again. Chad pointed to himself, then her.

'Ride' he mouthed, steering the imaginary handlebars again. Sonny still didn't understand, so as best he could, he whispered. "Do you—" he pointed to her "—want to ride—" Chad pointed to himself "—after school—" he pretended that he was scooping food into his mouth "—to eat somepl—"

"What's going on here?" came a sudden voice, interrupting their front-row conversation. It was the teacher. Her eyes shot back and forth from Sonny to Chad, the same expression in them as everyone else in the room, shocked and disbelieving. The two instantly jumped, sitting straighter in their desks, surprised by the sudden voice that wasn't one of their own. Her eyes finally settled on Sonny, waiting for an answer.

"Nothing, Mrs. Robinson," she muttered, embarrassed that they had not only gotten caught, but that _she_ herself was the cause of a disruption in class!

"No, no, it's something," she shook her head, hands on hips. Sonny was red from embarrassment. Chad, on the other hand, was cool and collected. Getting in trouble in the classroom was definitely _not_ new to him. Mrs. Robinson glanced back and forth between them again, not believing her eyes, so instantly, an accusing glance shot towards Chad. "Miss Munroe, is he disturbing you?"

"No! No, ma'am," she said quickly, shaking her head, eyes finally raising from her desk. She looked back and forth between her English teacher and Chad worriedly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I was," he said suddenly, looking down at the ground, showing a sign of temporary grief. Everyone did a double-take. Did _Chad Dylan Cooper_ just take the blame for someone? Let alone a _girl_? That almost never happened! He just back-talked the teacher and ended up with a detention that he never showed up to.

"What?" Sonny breathed, staring at Chad with confusion. They both knew it wasn't just his fault! "No, it's _not_," she told him pointedly.

"Yes, it _is_," he told _her_ pointedly. He looked back to their teacher, nodding his head, indicating he was taking the blame. She looked torn, her head snapping between them. She eventually shrugged it off and appeared to swat an invisible fly.

"Whatever! I don't care who's fault it is, just don't do it again," she rolled her eyes. Her stare drifted to Chad. "Mr. Cooper, cut it out." Her eyes were peering over her glasses with brows raised. He gave her a small, dismissive nod. She turned back around and continued where she'd left off.

Everyone, some with mouths open, watched as he apologized to a mortified Sonny and turned back towards the board. Sonny mouthed a forgiveness and turned to the teacher as well. The incident was the talk of the school for the next few days.

Too bad that Sonny had neglected to remember that Rachel was in that class. Sitting in the back corner of the room, with perhaps the most surprised look on her face of anyone.

As Sonny left the room when the lunch bell rang, Chad caught up with her.

"_I. Want you. To come. Eat with me. After school_," he said slowly, as if he was talking to a three year-old.

She laughed. "Yeah, I caught it the last time."

"Hey, uh, sorry I might have embarrassed you back there."

"It's fine, Chad. Don't worry about it," Sonny grinned brilliantly. "It... it was actually... kind of fun!"

Chad nearly stumbled. "_What_?" Had he misheard her?

"It was kind of a rush, ya know, getting in trouble?" she laughed uneasily, but excitedly. Chad grabbed her elbow and stopped her from walking, an incredibly amused and happy smile on his face. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they continued walking down the hallway full of spectators.

"You know what?" he asked her, looking down at her gleeful figure. "I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship."

Sonny's boisterous laugh echoed through the long hall.

* * *

Sonny didn't know what to think when she felt a furious tapping on her shoulder while she was at her locker, getting her books for the last class of the day. She whipped confusedly around to face the perpetrator, but to her surprise, it was just Rachel.

"Hey, girl!" she smiled kindly. Her grin slowly faded when her best friend didn't match it, but instead met it with a glare of betrayal. "What?"

"_What_ in the _hell_ was _that_?"

"What was what?" Sonny asked, genuinely lost.

"FOURTH PERIOD! _WHAT_ THE HELL WAS _THAT_?" she yelled. When Sonny's confused expression turned guilty, Rachel began nodding. "Uh huh! Exactly! You and _Chad_?"

"What—what about me and Chad?" she stuttered out, turning back to her locker for shelter against Rachel's radiating wavelengths of fury.

"Oh, don't even _pretend _like you don't know exactly what I'm talking about!" she shook with anger. "The way—Oh my God, you aren't gonna make me explain it! You know what happened in there!"

"Explain it to me," Sonny said weakly, keeping her face hidden.

"Alright," she launched off into a raging monologue, clearly upset beyond reason, "when I saw Chad flirting with you, I thought, _'No surprise there.' _But then, what made my JAW TOUCH THE FLOOR was when _you_ started flirting _back_! Have you completely forgotten everything I've told you about him? You're setting yourself up in a trap-full of hurt, Sonny! What the hell are you thinking? You know better than this! Tell me, what was going through your head? Huh?"

Sonny was at a loss for words. What could she say? She couldn't tell Rachel what was going on! She'd kill her! But of course, when you kiss someone, the first thing you wanna do is go tell your best friend, and it hurt her very much that she couldn't do that. There was another side to Chad that no one else knew about and no one else would _believe_. Even if they would believe it, she couldn't tell even if she wanted to! She'd made a promise to him.

"It's—it's not what you think, Rachel," Sonny stumbled over her words.

"That's total lies, Sonny! I know you. You stutter when you're either scared or you've been caught. And you sure as _hell_ have been caught! Spill!"

Sonny couldn't take it anymore. She was being walked all over! She was sick of everyone saying bad things about him when most of the stuff that happened he couldn't control! With a speed that surprised both of them, she whirled on the fuming Rachel.

"You know what, Rachel? There _is_ something going on!" At this, Rachel's eyes became even more accusing, as if saying, 'I knew it!' "I like him! And he likes me! And in more of a way than you'd think! There's—there's another side to him, Rachel! One that no one knows about or even takes the time to get to know! But... but he's opened up to me! He's not the person you think he is. You need to learn to accept the fact that my love life is _my_ choice and... and I'm sorry, but it's not any of your business!"

Rachel was silent, trying to take in the fact that Sonny actually had said that to her. Her mouth formed words, but they didn't come out. Finally, she gathered herself.

"It _is_ my business, Sonny! It's my business when the school's biggest player is trying to play my best friend, and I'm just trying to protect her! Do you have _any_ idea of what he's capable of, Sonny? I've told you! I've warned you a million times! He _isn't_ safe for you!"

"Since when is it your decision to decide who is safe enough for me and who isn't? I believe I can decide that much for myself, thank you very much. I DO have a brain of my own, believe it or not. But the Chad you see _isn't_ the Chad I see, Rachel. Why can't you understand that?" Sonny demanded.

"Because the Chad you see isn't real!"

"_Yes_, he is! He cares about me, Rachel! I know he does! You weren't there!"

"I don't have to be there to know what he's thinking about, Sonny! And it's _not_ the same thing you're looking for in a relationship! I can tell you that right now! Did you see the way he got you in trouble in class today? That'll keep happening, and it'll only get worse from here!"

Sonny shook her head. She couldn't believe Rachel was trying to use her love for school against her.

"Of course you only notice the _bad things_," she rolled her eyes exasperatedly. Sonny slammed her books back into her locker.

"I 'only notice the bad things'? REALLY? Well, where are the 'good things'? Yeah, that's right, there are none!"

"Yes, there are! You'd know that if you listened to me once in awhile instead of just doing what _you_ want to do!" Sonny screamed. "Did... did you notice how he took the blame for me?"

Rachel was silent, lip bit in anger and eyes full of frustration. She knew Sonny had found a notch in her complaining. Finally, "Yeah. So?"

"Taking the blame for someone, let alone a girl, let alone a girl who is his _tutor_, doesn't exactly match up with your characterization of Chad, now does it?" Sonny asked, brows raised, daring Rachel to contradict. "I'm telling you, there is _things, attitudes, sides_ of Chad that you could only dream about. He really isn't so horrible deep down."

"Oh, really?" Rachel hissed. "Well, then, let's hear some of these 'other sides' then?"

Silence.

"I...I can't tell you," Sonny looked to the ground. It was at times like this that it was hard to keep a secret.

"Oh. Really? You can't tell me? Interesting," she nodded curtly.

"They aren't my secrets to tell!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she rolled her eyes. "You 'said you would not tell'. How convenient that your only proof you can't tell."

"Well, that's the way it is."

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Sonny—" (though it was obvious she wasn't) "—but he doesn't care about you. Not the same way you care about him."

"_Yes_, he does!"

"Really? You don't seem too sure."

Sonny had felt the smallest itch of doubt, and apparently it had shown in her eyes. But she pushed it down. "I _am_ sure. And I can tell you something else that I'm sure about. I'm sure that a best friend would be happy for me, and accept my decisions! I'm sure that a best friend would support me, no matter what I decide!" Rachel was quiet, refusing to meet Sonny's eyes. "So... I—I guess you aren't my best friend."

Sonny turned to walk away, but Rachel called after her. "Sonny! Sonny, come on, don't be like that! SONNY!"

She continued stomping quickly down the hallway towards her last class, pretending to hear nothing at all. Sonny wiped a single tear from her cheek as she approached her classroom.

So much for 'best friends'.

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**A/N: Are you awesome? Are you true fanfiction-ers? Are you a fan of this story? If you answered yes to any of these questions, review!**


	27. Stranded

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns that she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Yay! OMG, it's summer, guys! Well, at least it is for me :) I got out last week. If you're out, I hope you have an awesome summer, and if you aren't out yet, just hang in there! It's close! And on a totally different note, thanks again for all of the story support! Some of y'alls reviews make me laugh.**

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**Chapter 26: Stranded**

Sonny sat on the edge of her tree house, legs crossed, chin in her hands, the wind blowing back her thick and wavy hair in spurts. She bit her lip as she sat there, thinking. Although she knew that her mind should be on her supposed 'date' with Biker Boy, her brain couldn't focus on that for long before she remembered her fight with her best friend. It was because of Chad that Rachel practically hated her now, wasn't it? Technically? She wasn't _blaming _him for anything. Chad couldn't really help the fact that Rachel was totally overprotective. It was just her personality.

But... she couldn't help but think... Rachel has known him for such a longer time than she, herself, had. What if her was-best-friend had a point? Sonny had only been in California for a little over two months, and she automatically assumed that she knew everything about one of the school's baddest and most emotionally complicated guys? Rachel has known him for _years_. Was Sonny really over-shooting their relationship? If you could call it that?

_Was _Chad playing her?

She wanted to not believe it. And for the most part, her gut told her that that wasn't the case. But there was the smallest inkling of doubt that Rachel had brought out into the open, and she couldn't shove it away, no matter how much she wanted to or how hard she tried. Sonny totally wasn't his type, but like her used-to-be-buddy had said, he always wanted something he felt was unobtainable. And when she was compared to him, that was her definition: unobtainable.

But... Chad was a biker, not an actor. He wouldn't make himself nearly cry the other night in the tree house just to get a girl! He wouldn't be willing to (by a _guy's_ definition, not her's) act like a sissy just to get lucky, right? Guys had a moral code, and one of the most important always seemed to be to look and act tough, especially in front of girls.

Plus, you couldn't _fake_ being able to play piano! And he was way too good to just have recently learned to try and impress her. Plus, neither of them knew that piano was in that room, so there was no way that he would have _known_ to prepare. Even if, somehow, he _had _done all of that as a ploy, he had his chance to try something the other night. And he didn't. If anything, it seemed like Sonny was the one making moves, not him. She had to be over-thinking this. Sonny decided to stick to her original belief, and that was that he was genuine.

"Sonny? Sweetie?"

She glanced down, and saw her mother standing below her. Ms. Munroe was glancing at her watch.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"What time was he supposed to pick you up again? And what—what time did he say he would have you back? Where is he?"

"He's coming," Sonny answered, rolling her eyes. Her mother was so impatient, especially when it came to her going out with a guy. "Why didn't you just let him pick me up after school was over? It would have been quicker and I would have been home earlier."

"Na ah ah," she wagged her finger at her daughter, smiling slyly, "I don't think so! There is no way I'd let him give you a ride _anywhere_ until I have a talk with that young man first!"

"_Mom_," Sonny groaned, lying down with her hands over her eyes in embarrassment.

"What? Don't think I don't know what's on teenagers' minds, Sonny! I was one at one point too, believe it or not," her mother nodded curtly.

"Oh my God, Mom!" Sonny shrieked, covering her ears, face red. "We—we were _just_ going to go get a bite to eat! Nothing else!"

"Well, these days, you never know what's going on—"

"MOM! Ah! Stop it!"

"I'm not saying I don't trust you, Sonny. It's the boy. You _always_ have to keep an eye on the boy."

"_Mom—_"

"No offense, sweetheart, but if you're looking for a guy who won't make a move, Chad's doesn't exactly _send off_ that message at first glance, ya know?" she laughed a little cynically. Sonny just decided to stop trying to get a word in, considering it was really no use until Ms. Munroe was done with her little 'are-you-sure-you-aren't-making-a-big-mistake' speech. "—and he wears all of that _leather_, Sonny! Why would _anyone_ need all of that leather?" She closed her eyes and messaged her temples, waiting for silence to finally come from the never-ending sound generator that was her mother's mouth.

"He's fine, Mom. Trust me," she finally said, after what seemed like at least thirty minutes of endless rattling on her mom's part. Ms. Munroe raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You know me. Do you really think I'd go hang out with someone who I thought was bad influence?"

The woman below grinned. Her daughter always had been very mature for her age. "No, I know you'd steer clear of them. But you didn't really have a choice with Chad. The school office assigned him to you."

"But I have a choice _tonight_," Sonny grinned at her. "No one's making me have dinner with him."

Ms. Munroe sighed, leaning up against the tree underneath the ladder. She smiled cheekily, in an almost easy-going way, at her daughter. "Yeah. I know, I know."

As if on cue, the sound of a motorcycle's engine was approaching down the long driveway. Sonny could see a single headlight coming. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he pulled to a stop in front of the tree that Sonny sat in and her mother leaned against. Chad dismounted and pulled off his helmet (which was surprising since he barely ever wore one). Chad must be trying to get on her mother's good side. He flipped his dirty blonde hair from his eyes and sent a brilliant smile towards Ms. Munroe. He glanced up towards Sonny, being coy.

"Hey, Munroe," he said in that silky voice he always seemed to have when he sneered her name. Sonny's mother's brows raised in a surprised way, mistaking the invitation to be towards her. She hadn't caught his subtle glance towards her daughter. "Oh!" Chad said quickly, putting his hands up in a defensive way, pointing upwards, "S-Sonny." She smiled in understanding, laughing at her mistake. Chad turned towards Sonny who was now lying on her stomach, chin in hands, smiling down at him. "Hey, you," she grinned.

"Hey, Munroe," he smirked. "Ya know, I could've sworn we've been over this already."

Ms. Munroe watched them with vague interest as Sonny stuck her tongue out. "Ha, so?"

"_So_," he emphasized, looking down at his watch then back up to her, "we need to get there soon if we want to have you back by... _ten o'clock_," he grinned in a forced way, turning to Ms. Munroe at the end of his sentence. He wasn't used to girls with a curfew... or with parents, really. This was terribly awkward for him, and he was actually a little _nervous_. Well, this was a new feeling.

"That's right," Sonny's mother nodded, smiling in a self-satisfied way. She knew Sonny was coming back much earlier than Chad was used to—or _liked_. Sonny climbed down and Chad steadied her as she reached the bottom. She smiled at him in thanks.

"So," her mother cut in suddenly, "I guess you two are riding on...?"

"My bike, ma'am," he grinned in an almost awkward way.

"That's what I thought," she nodded critically. She walked around his motorcycle a couple of times, surveying it. "But I'm afraid Sonny can't ride on this."

"_Mom—_!" Sonny began to whine, but her mom cut her off.

"—_without_ a—"

Chad held up a finger and stopped her. He reached behind himself and pulled out two black helmets, smiling. "Already got it covered, Ms. Munroe." For perhaps the first time since he'd arrived, she smiled for real.

"That's what I like to see, Chad," she nodded in approval, patting his arm. "That's all. Have fun, you two."

Chad climbed on and took Sonny's hand as she followed behind him, making sure she mounted alright. He cranked it and revved it a few times, just to irk Ms. Munroe for a moment, and waved to her.

"See ya at eleven, Ms. Munroe!" he called, taking off down the driveway with Sonny's arms around his waist.

"_Ten_, Chad! TEN O'CLOCK! Chad Cooper?" she yelled, trying to be heard over the engine of the Harley. When they were out of sight, she shook her head, smiling. She wouldn't even be around and she knew this would be an interesting night.

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When they came to a stop sign out in the country, Sonny propped her chin on his shoulder and asked softly, "Where are we going, Chad?" Most of the thoughts that made her panic were out of her head since she was 99.9% sure she could trust him, but she couldn't keep the _slight_ fright out of her voice.

At this, he turned his head to the side, so he could peer at her. He heard her tone, but he didn't let on. "How does _Chik-Fil-A _sound?" he asked just as softly, smiling gently. Sonny giggled in excitement, making his smile grow.

"It sounds fantastic!" she laughed. "How did you know that was my favorite?"

"Uh... lucky guess?" _How lucky can I get?_ he thought, laughing to himself.

As they weaved through the small road, on their way to town, Sonny leaned her cheek against his shoulder and tightened her grip around his waist. His smell was addicting. A goofy grin overtook her face. She sighed in contentment. Rachel had to be wrong. She just had to be!

Suddenly, the bike jolted, snapping Sonny out of her dream-like state and making her hold on tighter, but this time in fear. Chad gripped the handles tighter, cursing under his breath as the motorcycle began to slow.

"No!" he yelled. "C'mon, baby! Don't go out on me now!"

But his 'baby' did not listen. After making a few spitting and puffing noises that did _not_ sound good, it slowed to a stop.

"What's going on?" Sonny demanded, gripping Chad to almost the point of pain for him.

"I—I don't know," he stuttered. He kicked the stand down and climbed off, and Sonny followed. "_Shit_! Crap crap crap!" he cursed, kicking the wheel, then wincing in an almost apologetic way. "I can't believe this!"

"What? What's wrong?" Sonny panicked.

"I... I think it might be the belt or wheel alignment," he said unsurely, leaning down and inspecting it. "But I could've sworn I fixed that this morning! What the hell?" After a few more choice words that Sonny was sure she'd never repeat, he stood back up and ran his hand through his hair. "God, Sonny, I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's okay, I hear those words on TV all of the time," she laughed uncomfortably, appearing to swat an invisible fly. Chad looked at her in confusion, then just continued as if she hadn't of spoken.

"We aren't going anywhere anytime soon," he muttered apologetically. "I'll have to work on this almost all day tomorrow."

"So... we're stuck?"

"Pretty much."

"So, do we just walk back to my house or something?"

"If you want to walk an hour at night, alone, sure."

"Well, hey!" Sonny smiled at him, trying to make the situation seem better. "I've got my phone!" She began rummaging through her pockets. "We could—uh oh, where is it?" After a few more minutes of looking, Sonny groaned. "Aw man! I left my phone at home, too!"

Chad took a seat on the grass beside the road, exhaling deeply and staring at his bike's engine. "This'll take forever to fix," he muttered irritatedly. "I can't freakin' _believe this_!"

"It's okay," Sonny said gently, taking a seat beside him in the cool grass. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off quickly, not making eye contact with her.

"No, it's not, Sonny," he growled. "We were supposed to have a good time tonight, and it's over before it even starts!"

"It's fine! I'm okay," she shrugged. She laughed to herself. "I kind of think it's funny."

To her surprise, he didn't laugh along. He _glared_. Actually _glared_. It was a look she hadn't received since he and his friends had watched her at the gas station. She recoiled, suddenly not feeling _quite_ as safe as she had been only minutes before.

"Do you have _any idea_ how long this is gonna take to fix?" he demanded. "I've probably got to order a new belt! Shit!"

Afraid to say or do something else that would set him off, Sonny pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, tentatively glancing at him every now and then, scared his eyes would be dark. She _hated_ when they were dark. It was terrifying. The dark blue was so unnatural in his irises. It was as scary as _heck_.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

He glanced back at her, eyes angry, but softened slightly at the sight of her. He took a deep breath and breathed out sharply, rolling his eyes. "It's not your fault, Munroe. I'm not pissed at you. It's just... when my bike goes out at important times, which it likes to do, I get mad." He kicked the wheel again.

"It's okay," she muttered quietly, half of her face hidden behind her knees. Chad turned to fully face her, starting to feel a little bad.

"No, it's not," he shook his head, opening up his arm for her. "Come on."

"No, that's okay."

"C'mon, Munroe," he laughed, grabbing her and squeezing her to his side. "I'm sorry, okay?"

She peered up at him and saw that his eyes were sparkling apologetically, not dark, and leaned into him, smiling. After a while of silence, Sonny mumbled,

"What do we do?"

"Hope someone comes along, I guess."

"But—but we don't know what kind of people could come driving up! What kind of people drive around the country at nine thirty at night? Not good people!" she panicked.

"Hey, I might know some of 'em," Chad laughed, but Sonny didn't get the joke. She remained quiet, eyes darting around the dark. "Hey, kidding!" he shook her, trying to make her smile. "C'mon, Sonny, smile! You know something is wrong with the picture when _I'm_ the one trying to get _you_ to loosen up." When she still didn't make a sound, he sighed in defeat. "If anyone bad _does_ come along, I'll protect you."

She glanced up at him feebly, brows raised, as if asking, 'Really?'

"I'd punch 'em out," he grinned brilliantly, making her giggle slightly at the fact he could talk about such a gruesome topic and smile so happily. Chad smiled as well. "There we go!"

"Some first date, huh?" Sonny asked comically, but Chad frowned. "No, no! I don't mean it like that. We could... just sit and talk, I guess. Nothing wrong with that, right?" While she spoke, Chad had risen and turned on the headlight of the bike, then sat back down by her side. "Why'd you do that?"

"So if any cars come along, they'll be able to see us," he told her.

"Oh," she said, embarrassed. That should have been obvious. "So... do you mind if I ask you a question?" He raised his eyebrows in a 'it-depends-on-what-the-question-is' way. She sighed. "I've been wondering this for awhile. Since you, you know, don't live with your dad anymore—" he visibly tensed "—who do you stay with? Did you buy your own place or something?"

"Why?"

"Like I said, just curious."

"I live with Rage now," he said shortly. She waited for more, but it didn't come. Sonny continued hesitantly.

"Oh," she nodded. "That's... nice, I guess. What's it like?"

He looked at her in a 'why-in-the-world-are-you-asking-me-this-stuff?' way. "Uh..." he shrugged, "it's cool, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess you guys can do guy stuff and have fun without your dad around, huh?" she asked, laughing lightly but stopped when he didn't follow. She looked at her fingernails awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. He obviously didn't find any topic related to his father funny in any aspect. "Well—"

"Sonny," he cut her off, holding up a hand, "something you should know about me is that I don't like talking about my dad or anything related to him. I thought you'd picked up on that by now, but I guess you haven't." When Sonny looked a little taken aback and shrunk back with her knees pulled up to her chest again, he made her jump when he put his arm around her and pulled her to him. "How many times do I have to tell you, Munroe, I'm not mad at you?"

"A lot, I guess," she said feebly.

"Hey," he told her quietly, silkily, squeezing her tighter to his side. She peered up at him again. "I'm sorry. If I ever... get a little testy, don't take it personally, okay? I'm never mad at you, I'm just mad at the situation. Like, I'm ticked right now because this was supposed to be a great night for you, and we're stuck on the side of the road at ten at night miles from your house. And it's my fault."

"No, it's not," she comforted him, patting his arm. "You couldn't help that your bike decided to stop working because of the... the belt wheel lineament!"

He threw his head back and ran his free hand through his hair, laughing. He looked at her with an incredibly amused smile. "It's _belt or wheel alignment_, and yes, it is my fault. I looked at it this morning and saw problems with it, but I didn't fix it well enough, apparently."

"Well, you _thought_ you did, and it's the thought that counts," she grinned. Chad bit his lip, as if trying to decide if that was true, then smiled.

"Thanks, Sonny," he breathed, his thumb rubbing lightly on her arm. Sonny met his smile with a flirtatious grin, batting her eyelashes. He laughed.

_Groan_.

They both looked down to Sonny's stomach, and she gripped it in embarrassment. That totally just ruined the moment!

_Grumble_.

"God, I'm sorry, Sonny," he apologized again. "I'm hungry, too."

"For the last time, you couldn't help it," she smiled, holding his hand. But another sound that came from her stomach silenced her.

"Let's see..." Chad said to himself, digging around in his leather jacket pockets, turning so Sonny couldn't see what he was doing. In the end, he held out two things to her. He held his head high and said in a snooty voice, "Well, Miss Munroe, I'm afraid all we have on the menu tonight is..." he held up one of the items, which was circular "...a refreshing pack of spear mint breath mints, and..." Chad held up a square pack "... icy mint _Stride_ gum."

"Ooh, it's such a hard choice," she pretended to be torn, glancing back and forth between them. "I'm gonna go with the usual tonight and take the gum, I think."

They laughed as he handed her the pack and she took out a piece and chewed. The rumbling in her tummy ceased temporarily. Chad took a stick of it as well.

"I think I may order this again," he told her, face completely serious, and opened the blue pack again. He took another piece. He popped it into his mouth and chewed awhile, then blew a huge bubble. Sonny poked it when it got to it's biggest and it exploded, blasted all over his chin and nose. She erupted into a fit of giggles. "Hey!" he cried through all of the gum, wiping it off of his face with his fingers. He turned to her after a moment, asking gravely, "Did I get all of it?"

"Not quite," Sonny giggled, reaching up to his face and wiping off some on the corner of his mouth. He watched her with appraising eyes as she did so, avoiding his gaze.

Suddenly, blinding headlights came into their view. The car skidded to a stop in front of them, the two having to hold their hands up over their eyes to actually see. As they got up and walked away from the blinding path of the headlights, they discovered that it was an older-looking red pickup truck. Sonny didn't understand why, but Chad suddenly tensed and was standing as still as a post. He gripped her wrist so tight that she almost cried out in pain and he shoved her behind him. His jaw was set. Chad must _actually_ know this person.

The door opened creakily and they struggled to see who stepped out, but it was easy to tell it must be a man. His heavy boots scraped against the loose rocks on the road's pavement. As he drew nearer, Chad's grip tightened even more on her wrist and Sonny winced, and his silhouette was huge.

"Chad, man!" he cried, punching him in the shoulder. Sonny shrunk back even more behind the blonde as she took in the large man before them. He was familiar. He had an odd baby face, dark, muscular arms, with a tattoo of a skull.

"Rod," he said stiffly.

"What ya doin' out in da middle o' nowhere, dude?" he asked, laughing.

"My, uh, belt is havin' issues on the Harley," he said, his grip still not loosening on Sonny.

"Good thang I came along then, huh?" he laughed, eyes wandering for the first time over Chad's shoulder. His smile changed into a less friendly one and more like a lion looking at it's prey. "Oh, who's dis, man?"

"Oh, uh, Sonny," he said with difficulty, not moving Sonny from his protective stance. "Her name's Sonny."

"She looks familiar," Rod smiled. "Oh, you that dog-lover from the gas station?"

"Um... yeah, that's me," she said almost so meekly that she couldn't be heard. Sonny had to keep herself from crying out when Chad dug his fingers into the delicate skin on the top of her hand. She gathered from that she wasn't supposed to speak.

"Mmm," he nodded, glancing from her to Chad with a grin she didn't understand. "Okay then. Y'all need a ride?"

"We're good, thanks," Chad said stubbornly. Sonny sent an extremely questioning glance at him. Even if the guy was a little shifty, they obviously knew one another, and they needed a ride! And they could put his bike in the back! Did Chad want them to be stuck here all night?

"Oh, c'mon, man, I insist!" Rod boomed, wrapping his arm around Chad's shoulders and dragging them to the back of the dark truck. Chad practically jumped into the back seat, taking Sonny with him and putting a protective arm around her waist. "I'll get yo' bike," Rod told him, shutting the door and going to the edge of the road to get Chad's Harley. Sonny's mouth dropped when she saw the man pick up Chad's bike like it was a feather, carrying it over to the truck bed and lying it down carefully.

"Hey," Sonny whispered, a little shaken, "what's the problem?"

Chad just shook his head, sending her a look that said 'do-not-say-a-word'. A shiver went down Sonny's spine. Rod slammed down in the driver's seat, making the truck rock, and turned to the two.

"Where to?" he asked.

Now Sonny understood. Since he'd be driving them... he'd have to drop them off at her house. And he'd see where she lived. And for whatever reason, Chad _hated_ the idea of that. She wasn't too thrilled about the idea, either.

This couldn't be good.

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**A/N: Review! Tell me what you thought, please! :D**


	28. Anger Issues

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, you guys! They are amazing! And Girltech101, thanks for the long review! I'm gonna use your idea. And I'm glad you love the story so much. And see! I'm updating quick! Just for you guys!**

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**Chapter 27: Anger Issues**

"Are you sure I should just drop you two off here, man?" Rod asked skeptically, leaning out of his window, glancing around. "We only drove, like, five minutes."

"Yeah, trust me, dude, this is fine," Chad assured him stubbornly, still an iron grip on Sonny's wrist as he dragged her out of the truck behind him. "We'll walk from here."

"_Walk_?" he repeated, face twisting up in confusion. Chad winked at him, tilting his head towards Sonny suggestively. His baby face twisted into a devious smile. "OH. Gotcha. _Walk_. Have fun _walkin'_, lil bro."

Chad gave him an exasperated look and waved, signaling it was time for him to leave them alone. Chad and Sonny began walking back to her house after Rod drove away, which was only about five minutes away, Chad steering the motorcycle as he walked, in mostly silence.

"Chad... what exactly did you mean by '_walking_'?" Sonny asked suddenly, stopping with arms folded over her chest.

"Um... walking," he stated obviously, motioning to what they were doing.

"No," Sonny shook her head, looking at him in a way he hadn't seen since they'd first met. "You didn't. The... the way he said 'okay, _gotcha_' did NOT mean 'walking'."

"Yes, it did," he said, rolling his eyes. "I had to make it sound like _that_ to throw him off."

After a moment of silence, Sonny scowled. She finally spoke. "Your friends are _gross_."

Chad laughed. "Aren't they, though?"

* * *

"Are you ready?"

"I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"Sure you are, Chad! Come on, it'll only take a second."

"Don't make me, Sonny. I'm not _that_ kind of guy..."

"It's not _that_ big of a deal. You don't really have much of a choice, anyway."

"Yeah, I do! I could just say I don't want to do it, and then I won't. _So_, I'm not. End of story."

Sonny and Chad were sitting on the cool grass underneath one of the large, old trees on the Munroe's property. The sun was just beginning to set, tinting the sky orange, pink, and yellow, behind seemingly black and wispy clouds. They were looking out over a beautiful, open grassy field. School books were scattered across the deep green grass, some open and others closed and untouched. Sonny was waving an English book called _Poetry for Amateurs_ around in Chad's face.

"_No_, Mister Slacker, you are _not_ missing out on another assignment," she scolded him, wagging a teasing, yet serious, finger in his face. "Do you want to try and salvage your Senior year grades or not? And that means _no zeroes_ on _anything_."

Chad groaned, hitting his head back against the hard bark of the tree trunk. He closed his eyes, as if in pain. "Look at me, Sonny," he begged, motioning to himself up and down, "do I _look_ like the kind of person who writes... _poetry_?" He said the word like it scorched his tongue. Sonny looked him up and down, eyebrows raised indifferently.

"It doesn't matter if you look like the kind of person who writes poetry or not, it's still an assignment, and it's still being taken for a grade, which still affects your GPA," Sonny informed him.

Chad's head was leaned back against the trunk in exasperation with his eyes shut again, but this time his jaw was set. He twisted his head to face her but didn't lift it, sparing her a tired glance. "We've been at this for an hour. Can we take a break?"

"Nice try, but you're not getting out of it that easily," she smirked, closing the poetry book and lying it in her lap. "If you _have _to have a break, we can. But the second we're done, we're jumping right back to it."

The biker groaned again, loudly this time. He turned his head away from Sonny and his face was facing the sky now, head still slammed back against the trunk in a hopeless and final way. Chad was just blinking casually now, eyes no longer shut.

"I hate English," he commented sourly, chest heaving as he sighed. "Well, except for vocabulary." His eyes wandered over to a pink Sonny as he smiled smugly.

"Well, what do you want to talk about on our break, slacker?" she asked lightly, drumming the cursed-by-Chad book with her fingers.

"I don't know," Chad shrugged. "Any_more_ questions about me, Munroe? That you don't already know?"

It couldn't be much, he thought. They'd had countless talks about his home life. The topic was actually getting a little less 'forbidden' lately, since it had been mentioned so often. Some things lose their thrill if you talk about them too much. Sonny bit her lip and played with her nails. Chad noticed that she always did this when uncomfortable, or knowing that she was venturing into unknown or dangerous territory with him, so he instantly went to the defensive. She used to look like that before she mentioned his dad.

"Um... this is a little off topic..." Sonny shrugged, keeping her head down a bit, "but... you know your reputation. And what people say about you, right?"

He scoffed. "Yeah! How else do you think I've gotten where I am today?" He adjusted his jacket.

"Okay," she gulped, "well... I've heard about how you've... you know..." she seemed to deliberate on how to phrase what she was about to say next, "... _done s-stuff_ with, um, girls, and—" this caught his attention instantly, making him lift his head off of the tree and face her, "—I was just wondering... if any of it was, uh, true."

He felt like he needed to be honest, even thought she probably wouldn't like the answer. "It depends on what you've heard," he said cautiously.

"Um... you know, just—just stuff," she shrugged, obviously extremely uncomfortable. "Stuff... stuff that said that you, um... had girlfriends that you... did _things_ with."

"What _kind _of—?"

"Oh, Chad, don't make me say it!" she cried, covering her face with her hands. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." Sonny peeked up through her fingers at him, feeling squirmy. She felt so... so tiny and helpless, and he looked so bigger than she did. That's how she felt, anyway. She felt like the kid here, and when it came to _that_ kind of stuff, she _knew_ that _was_ the kid here. "You, uh... fooled around with them and stuff."

"You mean had sex?" he asked casually, making sure they were talking about the same thing. He couldn't say he was surprised when she winced at the word.

"Yeah," she answered softly, looking up at him with innocent eyes. "Is all that stuff true?"

He bit his lip for a second, starting to nod slowly. "Most of it probably is, Sonny. And I'm not gonna lie. Most of it, if not all of it, probably is."

Sonny let out a breath she had been holding deeply. She knew in her gut that it was true, and she didn't know why she had to ask, but she knew that rumors could get nasty. She supposed that there was just a tiny glimmer of hope inside of her that wished it was all untrue and that she was worried about nothing. "Oh, okay."

"Why?" he asked. His mind raced as what he wanted to say next surfaced. If he told her aloud, it would go directly against the bet, and he could be lying to her face for all he knew. With a staggered breath, he inhaled. "You know... you shouldn't be worried, Sonny. If—if you don't... want me to do something, or if you're not comfortable with... um," his blue eyes looked around, trying to word this carefully, "something I'm, um, _doing_... all you have to do is tell me and I'll... I'll stop."

She looked up at him with big brown eyes. Sonny had no idea how to put into words how badly she had wanted to hear that... or how thankful she was. She just let a huge smile overtake her face, the one that was her trademark. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "That's... that's _such_ a relief," Sonny sighed, draping a hand over her chest. "I was kind of worried... that, you know, I might... no, it's nothing." She waved off her thought last minute.

"You'd what?" he asked. He tried to smile, even though the thought of it made him angry. "Sonny, you know that I'd _never_... never _make_ you do anything you weren't ready to do, right?"

She shrugged, which made his chest hurt. He couldn't blame her though. If he was in her shoes, he'd probably think the same thing. "Well," she smiled in a small way, "I do now."

"Good." The corners of his mouth pulled up as he draped a lazy arm around her shoulders. After a moment of silence, he grinned, planning to lighten the mood. "Okay, Munroe, now _I_ get to ask the questions."

She laughed heavily. "Um, okay. What do you want to know?"

"What about _your_ love life, hmm?" he asked casually, smiling in a lighthearted way. Sonny took that in a more literal way than what was meant.

"Oh," she laughed tentatively, "I—I don't... don't _do_ that kind of..."

"Oh, no, I _meant_, how many boyfriends have you had?" he corrected himself quickly, not believing that he was almost a little red himself.

"Why?" Sonny asked, amused.

He shrugged, using one of her famous quotes. "Just _curious_."

"Oh, well, um," she laughed shyly, twisting her hands together, "I had one back in Wisconsin..." she smiled at the memory, "but—but it was just puppy love, I think. It only lasted a couple of months."

"Oh," Chad nodded, pushing down a few of the typical-teenage-boyfriend-feelings when talking about their current girlfriend's past boyfriends. He just nodded and pushed thoughts out of his head. "Who else?"

Sonny looked away from him and put on a persevering smile. "Oh, uh, that's it."

Chad almost couldn't believe it. He blinked. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Sonny blushed, terribly embarrassed. Chad propped his elbow on his knee, leaning his head on his hand.

"Seriously?" he clarified, disbelieving still. He knew she was a goody-goody and all, but _still_... _one boyfriend_? It was hard to swallow. With her looks, he figured guys would've been all over her.

"Aw," she flushed, "not—not really, hehe."

Oh. Did he say that out loud?

"Yeah, you did." Sonny's color deepened.

"Crap!" he muttered, slamming his palm into his forehead. Sonny just laughed her signature laugh, like always. "Well... that's probably just because they grew up with you, am I right?"

"I guess," she grinned bashfully.

"You've... you've probably gotten crap loads of attention since you came to California," Chad said, knowing that _his_ attention was easily caught but the dog-loving new girl.

"Well... I don't know," she shrugged modestly. "All guys really did was offer to 'show me around'. So, not really." He laughed at her. "What?"

"Sonny," he laughed, shaking his head at how naïve she was when it came to what guys wanted, "okay, here's a little glimpse into the mind of a teenage guy." Sonny rose her eyebrows. "If a guy asks to 'show you around', he is pretty much saying 'Hey, you're hot and I'm interested'." She scoffed. "Hey, it's the truth."

"Well, I _have_ had some guys come up and ask me out, but I said no of course," Sonny said. "I just felt like they thought I was pretty and that was it."

_Well, the word they were thinking of probably wasn't 'pretty', but whatever_, Chad thought.

"And," Sonny added, "I had some football guy ask me out for _a second time_ yesterday."

Now _that_ caught Chad's attention. He laughed, but his eyes were getting dark. "W-what? Really? W-who asked you out?" Anger was brewing in the pit of his stomach, making his fists clench and unclench. It had gotten around the school at least a week ago that they, him and Sonny, were going out. If someone asked Sonny out before they were a thing, he was kind of okay with that thought. But _afterward_, and when the whole school knew about it, that was different. His blood was boiling.

"I'm not sure what his name was," Sonny contemplated, not noticing his fast-rising temper. "Maybe it was a... a Todd? No! No, it was a Toby. Definitely a Toby."

Chad bit his lip and stayed silent. Sonny hadn't noticed his rising anger until he removed his arm from around her shoulders to prevent from squeezing her to death. When she looked up to him, her heart jolted. His hands were balled into fists resting on his knees, his jaw was clenched, his face was growing red, he was biting his lip so hard that he could feel blood in his mouth. But what startled her most of all was his eyes.

They were dark. A vengeful dark. It was cold, calculating, emotionless besides anger. The small part of her that feared her new boyfriend surfaced. She was scared to speak, but she knew that she had to if his anger was to be released... and hopefully it wouldn't be on her.

"Ch-Chad?" she asked gently, softly prodding his shoulder. It was like a scene from a horror movie. He didn't move. All that moved was his eyes, as they snapped to her and stared at her. "What—what's wrong?"

His mind raced with things that didn't need to be revealed to someone as innocent as Sonny. He couldn't believe this! Some jerk was trying to make a move on his girl! It was odd... he'd never encountered this problem before, considering that no one had ever been incredibly _stupid_ enough to mess with his girlfriend. But now that someone had, the feeling encompassing him was perhaps one of the most furious he'd felt in a long time.

But Sonny was waiting for an answer. And he had to phrase it in a way that didn't scare her off. The last thing he wanted was for someone as important in his life as she was to be afraid of him. He glanced at her frightened face, down at the ground, back to her, then to the book in her lap. _Poetry for Amateurs_ it read.

"You know what, Sonny? Here's a poem for ya," he muttered angrily, fury radiating from every inch of his being. He sarcastically looked up to the sky, his knuckles white now. "Here is what I'd tell him. 'Toby, roses are red, violets are blue, Sonny is for me and not for you; if by any chance you try and take my place, I'll take my fist and smash your face."

Sonny's eyes widened. "Oh, Chad, please don't do anything like that! I'm sure he—he doesn't know better!"

"He sure as hell knows better, Sonny! You and me were the talk of the whole freakin' school for a week! There is no way he missed that!"

"Okay, you have a point, Chad, but that doesn't give you the right to go beat up people!"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because...!"

"_Because_ why?" he demanded of her, mockingly.

"You—you have to be the bigger person here!" Sonny told him, not believing that she was able to say all of this. She was still as scared as heck.

"Well what if I don't want to be the bigger person?" he yelled. "Some creep makes a move on my girlfriend, and I'm pissed! He's got to be taught that he can't follow you around like a freakin' puppy when you're taken!"

"Just—just forget it, Chad. Please?" she begged him, caressing his arm. Chad took a deep breath and released it through his nose like an angry bull. He continued to stare at her with his cold, dark eyes. When his frightening glare continued without wavering, she met his eyes and pleaded. "Calm down, please. It's not like I'm hurt or anything! He isn't harassing me. No harm done."

"I can't just let guys make moves on you and then nothing happens!" he exclaimed, furious. "Otherwise they are just gonna keep coming back! They're gonna think I've gone soft!"

"I'll—I'll take care of it if he comes up to me again," Sonny told him gently, still rubbing his arm. "It's okay, I promise. He's a nice guy. I'll just explain to him how... um, you don't like other people... hitting on me."

"Because you're mine!"

"I know, I know," she patted his hand, smiling. "It's not that big of a deal, Chad. Okay?" He refused to meet her eyes. He was looking everywhere, trying to get his mind off of it. "_Okay_, Chad?" she repeated, her tone more like an irritated mother's now. He sighed deeply and looked at her again, her irritation looking funny to him for some reason. Chad shook his head and looked away from her, getting tickled. "What?" she demanded. "You're laughing now? You're bipolar."

"It's just," he tried not to smile because he was supposed to be mad, but it was getting hard, "when you're angry or aggravated, it's not scary. You look more like a mad puppy." Sonny scowled and glared, which made Chad audibly laugh. "Like I said: _puppy_." He said this while messing up her hair.

When they both ended up laughing, Sonny hesitantly asked, "So... you aren't going to go hurt Toby, are you?"

He sighed and licked his lips, looking to the skies for help. "No, I guess not, Munroe. But if he does anything _one more time_, God so help me, I will—"

"Yeah, I know, I know," Sonny slapped his shoulder lightly. "You'll 'smash his face'." She giggled cutely and thought for a moment. "That was a horrible thing to say, don't get me wrong, but... it was actually a pretty good poem!"

"Can I _please_ just write that down and turn it in?"

"No. It'd be plagiarizing. I know you'll think of something."

"Crap." He was quiet a moment. "You know what, Munroe? Once I think about it, you're the only one who's ever seen me really pissed and lived to tell the tale."

She rolled her eyes, but knew that he wasn't exaggerating. "Don't your friends help calm you down?"

"Psh, no!" he scoffed. "They stay quiet and just watch me punch things... or people."

Chad smirked and leaned in to kiss her, but he found that his lips did not meet hers, but the plastic cover of a book instead. He leaned back to see that Sonny was holding the poetry book in front of her face. She peered over it and laugh lines crinkled around her chocolate eyes. She lowered it and rose her brows, pointing to it in an important way.

"Nice try, Cooper, but our break has been long enough. Poetry time!" she announced, looking very satisfied with herself.

He groaned like he had earlier, letting his head fall back against the trunk as he closed his blue eyes. "Come on, Sonny. You can't _honestly_ tell me that you would choose poetry over all of _this_." He motioned from his face to his body. Sonny smiled smugly.

"Believe it, Biker Boy," she grinned. Chad couldn't help but notice that she had surveyed him a little longer than was necessary. "We've got work to do. No homework, no fun."

"Ugh, now you sound like my mom."

"Then I must be doing something right," she stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm your tutor right now, not your girlfriend. Come on, what kind of poem do you wanna do? The average one or a haiku?"

"What do you mean you're my tutor right now and not my girlfriend?" asked Chad. "What was that whole dill-hole-Toby thing about then?"

"That doesn't count, it was on our _break_. Now, stop distracting me. What kind of poem do you wanna do?"

"I don't care! A... a normal one, I guess. I don't know what the other one is."

This would be a long afternoon.

* * *

**A/N: Who liked the poem?**


	29. Unfortunate Urges

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: That was fantastic, your responses. It means so much to me and Alexa. And, I must say right now, Ebz, your review made me laugh so hard. Don't ask me _why_ I found it so funny, I don't know. But I'm checking my reviews and expecting to see the same-old-same-old, "update" and "cool story", and then I see yours. Those four words: "Possessive Chad is sexy..." HA HA! I just think it's so funny... I don't know why.**

**Also, WARNING: Anyone squeamish may want to look away. You guys were saying that you wanted more kissing (which I totally understand), and I do not disappoint. :) I also have a song to go with the... uh... _incident_: ET by Katy Perry (you really should listen, it goes perfectly!) I might be pushing the limits of 'rated T' here, but I warned ya.**

* * *

**Chapter 28: Unfortunate Urges**

The final school bell rang for the day, making all of the students smile. It was a Friday. _Everyone_ loved Fridays. Especially Chad. Used to, this day never stuck out from the rest, considering the rest of the students liked it because they were away from classes, but he just ditched whenever he wanted, anyway. But he _was_ excited now. He was planning on maybe surprising Sonny with something tonight (another chance at a _date_, he means). As he wandered into the hallway, waves of rushing students surging past him inattentively, his phone began to vibrate.

He felt more stressed than he should have when he saw one of his 'best friend's name cover the ID screen: Lawson. Why now? He was busy! Why couldn't that drunken idiot stay out of his life? At least for tonight, anyway. He groaned to himself, venting, before hitting the answer button and raising the phone to his right ear.

"Hey, what's up?" Chad asked nonchalantly, knowing exactly what was probably on the man's mind.

"Hey, Chaddy boy," he smirked on the other line. "I've got a bone to pick with you."

"What did I do now?" the blonde asked uninterestedly, leaning against some nearby lockers and crossing his arms. A couple of girls who's lockers he apparently was leaning on approached, but when spotting him, backed away with uneasy smiles, deciding they could come back later.

"Where in _the hell_ have you been, man?"

"Excuse me?"

"For the past week or two! You barely ever come down to the dock anymore," he spat into the phone. "I don't know what's up with you. I like to know how my guys are doin', ya know? But that's kind of hard to do when one of 'em won't _show up_."

"Relax, dude," Chad rolled his blue eyes, trying to calm down the biking leader. "Look, I've just been busy. I _do_ have a life outside of you and the guys, believe it or not."

"Psh, please, no, you don't!" Lawson snorted. "You live with Rage, you hang out with us almost all weeknights, all of us _kindly_ lend you money and pay for our... uh... _special medicine_ that we like to get into, and you've never once bought a cigarette pack of your own. You always mooch off of me, man! You having a life? That's a bunch of bull shit! We _are_ your life!"

It seemed to hit Chad in the gut right then how much of a painful truth that was. His whole life seemed to revolve around that gang in some way or another, examples: he lived with one of them, he got all of his cigarettes and drugs from them, he made the bet with them that seemed to be running his life now. Did it ever end?

"Well..." Chad trailed off, running a hand through his hair, "I _do _have something else going on now, and it's taking up a lot of my time. It's not like I'm not showing up because I don't feel like it!"

"_Oh_," Lawson chuckled darkly. "I see what you're getting at here. Little Miss Hotty Virgin, am I right? Well, on second thought, dude, please tell me you've taken away the virgin part by now..."

"No," Chad shook his head, "but—"

"No freaking 'but's, Cooper!" he exclaimed over the phone, making Chad having to hold the phone away from his ear, wincing. This wasn't good. Lawson was getting pissed, because he never used Chad's last name unless he was ticked. "It's been _two-and-a-half freaking months_! You _still_ haven't gotten to her yet?"

"I'm working on it, Lawson!"

"'Working on it'," he repeated incredulously, shaking his head, "_working on it_? Chad, you've been 'working on it' for almost three months! Have you made _any_ progress _at all_?"

Chad debated with himself on what to answer. Part of him wanted to explain how him and Sonny were now in a relationship, and they had kissed, so he _had_, in fact, made progress. But at the same time, another part of his mind told him that elaborating on their situation wasn't a good idea. Giving Lawson details about Sonny didn't exactly make him comfortable. Plus, Lawson would scold him repeatedly about how he needed to be a man, get down to business, and get it over with.

"Cooper! Are you there?"

Chad shook his head, trying to release his thoughts. "Yeah, yeah. I'm here."

Silence.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Don't play dumb-ass with me. Have you made _any_ progress at all with our little bet?"

Chad's mind raced and he worded his sentence carefully. "Yeah... uh, she's—she's letting me in. It's going pretty good."

"Idiot! God, why don't you just push her against the wall and get it done? How hard would that be? And it'd take just a few minutes, dude!"

"Well... I _could_ do that, but I'm not," Chad hissed.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because..." his brain raked for an excuse, "... don't you think it'll be _so much_... _better_ when she's taking part in it, too? I mean, it's no fun if she's squirming the whole time trying to get away, am I right? Plus, I won't have the police on my ass."

"That's true, I guess," the leader muttered, not liking to admit that he was wrong. "See, that's the good thing about you, Chaddy boy. You think things through. See, it wouldn't be a good idea to have the police on your tail since we have a very healthy amount of... um... _special medicine_."

"Exactly," Chad nodded unsurely, just deciding that he'd go with that. Why not? Lawson was basically doing all of the excuse work himself!

"But _still—_" crap "—that doesn't excuse the fact that this bet is taking _way_ too long. _Get the job done_." The blonde biker gulped. His tone was dangerous. "Hey, by the way, dude, where are you?"

"Right now? School..." he responded, not sure why this question was relevant in their conversation.

"Alright, then. See you and Miss Sonshine in a few."

Chad froze. "Wait, _what_?"

All that answered was the long tone after someone hung up. Chad stared at his phone unseeingly. This couldn't be happening, it just _couldn't_! Sonny was in so much danger right now, not to mention how much danger _he himself_ would be in when Lawson would try and make a move and he would get protective. There was a _reason_ Lawson was in charge, after all. He had an uncanny ability to _always_ win his fights and get what he wanted. And Chad knew him well enough to know that when he saw Sonny, he'd want her. And he always got what he wanted.

Maybe he should grab Sonny and they should leave? But she'd want an explanation, and Lawson would know something was up if they fled since he'd told Chad ahead of time that he was coming. They were stuck in a corner. There was nothing to do but wait. With regret, Chad headed towards Sonny's locker, his shoulders slumped. Unfortunately, there was no solution to this horrible problem.

As he approached Sonny, who was turned around, putting stuff in her locker, his eyes wandered over her from head to toe. She was beautiful. Lawson would surely be all over her, even if he had been the one who'd basically assigned Chad to her. He sighed irritatedly as he wrapped his arms around an unsuspecting Sonny's waist.

"Hey," he smiled into her ear.

"Hey, Chad," she returned, grinning. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Chad shrugged, resting his chin on her shoulder. He quickly got to the point. "Sonny, I need to tell you something."

His tone caught her attention. Sonny turned her head towards him. Her brows creased in concern. "What is it?"

"Look, Lawson's coming, and—"

"_What_?" That sentence was all it took to get Sonny in panic mode. "Why? Why would he come to the school?"

"I don't know..." he lied guiltily, "but he just called me and told me that he was stopping by. I think... I think he wants to talk with me or something... and meet you."

"_What_?" her eyes bulged. "Chad, we have to leave!"

"We can't!"

"Why not?"

"He'll think something's going on between us."

"Well, there is. Why can't he know?"

Chad's mind raced for an excuse. "Because... he doesn't believe in real relationships, and he'll give me so much crap about it if he knew."

The rumbling sound of a bike was heard. The two looked at each other with wide eyes. _What were they going to do_? Chad ran down the hall to the doorway to peek outside, and sure enough, there was the G-Strider, Lawson dismounting.

"Is he here?" Sonny whisper-screamed down the hallway to him. Chad ran back to Sonny. They were now the only ones in the hallway, they noticed. The rest of the student body must have been very anxious to escape. Chad heard the school door open, and suddenly, an idea came to him. His head snapped from the person entering to Sonny in panic.

There was no other option.

"Sorry about this!" Chad muttered quickly to her, an apologetic look in his eyes. Sonny was lost.

"Huh? About wha—?"

It soon became apparent. Before Sonny knew what was going on, Chad had shoved her back against the lockers, making them clang loudly. He was suddenly on top of her, his lips crushing against her own. Sonny's eyes were wide with shock and confusion at first, but slowly, her eyes began to close. Sonny began to kiss back, surprised at how hard her heart was beating, making hot blood rise to her cheeks. Chad kissed her in a completely new way, much differently than he had in the tree house. There, he had been gentle and was acting as if she was breakable. _Not now_.

He was kissing her the way she had always thought a kiss with Chad would be like: _rough_. His lips were moving with passion, heat, urgently. Sonny was almost disgusted with herself at how much she actually _liked_ this. It was new... but she found herself enjoying it deeply. One of his hands cupped her neck, making her escape from his lips impossible. His other hand, however, slowly wandered down to the middle of her back, then down to the small of her back. Before she knew it, Chad's hand was equal with her tailbone and hips. He suddenly pulled her to him, until there was no space between their bodies. The heat and hormones bouncing between them was dangerously high.

Lawson was just then walking through the doorway, looking around for his hopefully-soon-to-be-gang-member. It didn't take long for him to spot the two, considering they were the only ones in the hallway. He stopped in his tracks, watching with an approving smile. It looked like Chad was taking his advice and about to get the job done! The two were glued together, Sonny pressed against the lockers, Chad's hands lower than was appropriate. It was obvious that it would only be a few minutes before they'd have to find a supply closet somewhere. Quietly, Lawson walked backwards out of the school, nodding. Maybe he _had_ underestimated Cooper. He climbed back onto his bike, smug, and took off loudly.

Chad heard the sound, knowing that it was technically safe now, but since this was her first time... well... _doing this_, she was too caught up in the moment to pay any attention to her outside surroundings. Sonny nearly fainted from a crazed adrenaline rush when she felt something unfamiliar. His tongue was slipping into her mouth. Her knees gave out, but only but for a few seconds, before she forced herself to stand up again and thrusts herself at him. She quickly slipped her tongue into _his_ mouth, her arms tightly winding around his neck. He impossibly deepened it, making Sonny run her hands up through his hair longingly.

Both of their heart rates were so fast that their faces were red, their breathing ragged. A never-before-felt fire ignited within Sonny, and Chad instantly felt it in her body language. Since their bodies were pressed together, any shift in position or weight could easily be felt by the other. They began to kiss faster, but what Sonny did made him freeze. She moaned.

As if someone had turned on a light switch, Chad's mind was suddenly back. With some regret and somewhat pride in himself, he pulled away from her. His lips left hers completely, his hands went back to his pockets (where they _should be_, he reminded himself), and he didn't dare look at her, afraid he would lose the little willpower he had left and continue where they left off. Chad was panting, running a hand through his hair and walking down the hall to check out the door to ensure their safety.

As her boyfriend was checking their security, Sonny was glued against the lockers, rigged, breathing heavily, her cheeks a rosy red. Only one thing ran through her mind right then:

_What _in the _hell_ just happened?

Chad walked back to his girlfriend, looking the most awkward she'd ever seen him look. Chad's heart was racing, his cheeks red, and he was internally freaking out. He'd never _once_, in his entire life, stopped himself from... well... (wasn't it obvious?) with a girl. He was practically having to do breathing exercises to calm himself down. Sonny's chest was heaving as her eyes darted around, trying to register what had just happened.

"Well..." Chad finally spoke, his voice cracking, scratching the back of his neck, "...uh, we're safe now!"


	30. Don't Cross Me

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Wow! A lot of people liked and read that last chapter. I feel special inside :D So anyway, sorry this has taken so long. I posted that last chapter right before I left for Florida for vacation. I had my 15th birthday, too. Fun fun! Plus, I've been getting tons of ideas for the END of the story, but this particular chapter, I was having issues with. By the way, I have a summary pretty much made up for my next story, or my maybe-next story. I'm almost scared that I'm sticking around FF too long, trying to use it to hold onto SWAC. But at the same time, I do it just to do it, too. And I love the feeling I get when people compliment my writing, about SWAC or not. It's a good practice-writing place for the future, where people can give you feedback.**

**My mom is getting scared that I'm not branching out enough, writing mostly about Sonny and Chad. So, just as a warning, two or three more multi-chapters may come from me with occasional one-shots, then I may leave. Or I'll just stay on here secretly (mwahaha). What do you guys think?**

**Congrats to the 400th reviewer, Lil Shawty-who loves to write!**

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**Chapter 29: Don't Cross Me**

Lawson's bike revved as he leaned against it on the side of the road, playing around with the gas as he pulled out his cell phone. He'd given the two lovers about three hours to, well, _do_ what they had to do, then his plan was to text Chad. He needed to see how it went, after all... and congratulate the newest member of his gang of brotherhood. His G-Strider rumbled against his back as he readjusted his position, his fingers quickly flying across the keypad of his phone.

_To: Chad_

_Call: 555-0666_

_Hey_

Lawson didn't have to say anything besides that. Chad knew _exactly_ what he wanted to know.

_To: Lawson_

_Call back: 555-4231_

_Alright, b4 you go Ape-shit, let me explain._

For a moment, Lawson simply stared at the message, not daring to comprehend it. There was _no way_, it just _could not_ be true, that he saw what he saw in the high school highway, and _it_ didn't happen! It just couldn't be. But, the more he stared at Chad's message, he knew it was. There was no way that his protege would already be trying to calm him down before they even started a conversation if he knew he did do—or _didn't_ do—something that would make him upset.

The biker didn't respond for about five minutes, trying to calm his temper so he wouldn't break the phone's keys. He just got a new one. His anger boiled, his shoulders shaking, as he cried out in frustration and fury. Lawson, not knowing what else to do, walked to nearby tree and kicked the trunk with all of his might. The thing hadn't been very large to begin with, so the pitiful thing doubled over, trunk split. He stared at it mercilessly. That's what people looked like when he was finished with them, too.

_To: Chad_

_Call: 555-0666_

_Go ahead Cooper. Give me some God damn excuse why you didn't do it this time!_

Just typing the words made him angrier. His phone quickly buzzed with a message from his 'student' that was seriously starting to disappoint him. That coward probably already had his page-long excuse typed and ready-to-send.

_To: Lawson_

_Call back: 555-4231_

_We were so close. But... a teacher caught us right before it got really serious. After that, the opportunity was kinda gone ya know?_

Well, Lawson had a ready-to-send reply typed up already, too. Two could play at that game.

_To: Chad_

_Call: 555-0666_

_No such thing as a gone opportunity. Push her against a wall and finish it!_

_To: Lawson_

_Call back: 555-4231_

_Police._

_To: Chad_

_Call: 555-0666_

_I don't care about no freakin' police no more! This is gettin' stupid! It's been 3 months Chad!_

It was a couple of minutes before Chad responded to that. Lawson smirked. He knew he was right, this was getting ridiculous. All of this trouble over something that could be accomplished with a push against the wall or on the bed, and about five minutes of time. Then, BAM, he's in. Why is it taking so damn long?

_To: Lawson_

_Call back: 555-4231_

_I know. But if I'm puttin' so much effort in this, I want it to be good. That means she's gotta do it too._

That _was_ true. Sex was always better when both contributed. But it wasn't that important. It's not like the two would continue a relationship afterward or anything. She was basically a toy needed for one game, and then she'd get thrown aside for a shiny new one. He knew how Chad rolled: exactly the way he'd taught him to.

_To: Chad_

_Call: 555-0666_

_Why you so determined she does it too?_

It was true! Sure, it was a preference, but not a necessity.

_To: Lawson_

_Call: 555-4231_

_If it's my initiation sex, I want it to be good :]_

Lawson left it at that, but he still wasn't happy with this. Not one bit. If Chad thought he was off the hook that easily, he was wrong. _Dead_ wrong.

* * *

Rod and Rage sat in their usual places, nervously glancing from each other, to the fire, then sneak a peek at Lawson, before their uneasy eyes returned to the fire again. The biking boss was sitting there, stock still, ankle resting on one knee, twirling a stick of unlit Mary Jane around in his fingers. If you were stupid enough to look long enough at his eyes, you could see the reflection of the bonfire in them, waving and spitting out sparks. His dark, cold eyes were like undisturbed water or polished glass. Any reflection in them was clear and unmoved. They were eerily glassy... not moving from the roaring fire. He was thinking.

The other two just sat there, still as posts, too, not wanting to move too much and force for Lawson's dark orbs to land upon them. They glanced at each other, and it was as clear as their leader's eyes what they were thinking: _Where in THE HELL was Chad? And why was he acting stupid enough to get Lawson pissed at him?_ Lawson definitely was someone who you did _not_ want to have a grudge against you. Chad had been around long enough to know better than to do what he was doing: basically ditching them. 'Them' being mostly Lawson. It was never good when you didn't show up for about the sixth time in a row.

"Where is he?" Lawson whispered eerily. He was the only sound for what seemed like miles, besides the ocean and the fire. The birds and insects weren't even making noise, as if they were afraid of the man, too. "I sent him three texts three hours ago, one every hour, so he couldn't use the excuse that he doesn't have his phone with him." Rod and Rage exchanged another understated fearful look, knowing the exact answer. Chad knew what he was doing wrong, and he was doing it on purpose. That much was obvious.

"I... I don't think he's comin', man," Rod said quietly in that deep voice of his, cautiously.

"No _shit_, Sherlock," Lawson whispered, which sounded even worse than him yelling. It always sounded scarier when a yeller whispered. "I don't like this. I don't like it one bit, guys."

Rage took this as a signal that it was appropriate for him to speak. "Where—where do you think he is?"

His unnaturally sharp eyes narrowed, still punishing the fire with their icy and glassy glare. "I know exactly where he is. And so do both of you." Without even exchanging looks, they all thought one word: _Sonny_. "This is getting... _out of hand_," the dangerous biker chose his words carefully. "I was worried this would happen from the start, but I thought I'd taught him well enough. Apparently not."

Lawson's words were clear and cut, which they always were when he was too angry to even yell. He was always the scariest when he was like this. Everything around him always became inhumanely quiet, afraid the smallest movement or sound would set off the ticking time bomb.

"So, he's... he's _not_ going to screw the virgin?" Rage clarified, trying to sort out this seemingly confusing situation inside of his red head.

Lawson's eyes snapped to Rage, and he could instantly feel the eyes of evil on him. Lawson's eyes were almost black, like there were no whites in them at all. Everything reflected in them. "_Nope_," he hissed, his eyes burning a hole in the fire once again. "He's too... _scared_. I've been able to tell being around him lately. He isn't the Chad we were dealing with three months ago. He's gone _soft_."

Rod shook his head like it was a shame, and Rage stared at the sand below, scattered with pieces of broken beer bottles and stubbed-out cigarettes, not knowing what to think.

"You mean it's like one a those stupid movies where the bad boy falls for the bitch?" Rage stated the obvious, red brows pulled together, trying to comprehend what was taking place right under his red nose.

"_Yes_, you stupid ginger!" Lawson exclaimed, making the two shrink back. "I think we've already established that!"

A hurting silence ensued the comment. Rage was biting the inside of his cheek, staring at the sand with an intensity that suggested he thought it unlocked the secrets of the universe. Rod spoke up, gathering up his courage.

"Want us to talk some sense into 'im?" the baby-faced man asked.

"That won't help, damn it," Lawson whispered again, the fire dying ever so slightly, like his glare was killing it.

"_No_, man. I mean, _talk _some sense into 'im," Rod said again, popping his knuckles with a smirk. He pounded and grinded his fist into his palm.

Even though that's all Lawson wanted to do, he was wise enough to know that beating him up would only make things worse. He shook his head. "No, no, Rod. _I'll_ take care of that much." Rod nodded in a satisfied way, knowing that Lawson would do more damage than he could.

Just then, a buzz silenced all of them. It was Lawson's phone. They all watched it like it was the last lifeline in existence. Lawson's dark eyes swiped across the message quickly, then he cried out in fury, throwing the phone at an unsuspecting Rod. The large man barely caught it before it hit the sand and rolled into the fire.

"_Read it! Out loud!_" he bared his teeth so much that it was painful.

Rod scrambled to straighten the phone to where it's screen was readable. "It—it says, 'Busy. My bad. See ya sometime.'"

"_Busy_?" Lawson repeated incredulously. "He isn't 'busy' with anything! If he was 'busy' the way he should be, he'd be one of us and this whole thing would be done with!"

"'See ya sometime'? What the hell does that mean?" the black man demanded.

"He's not gonna do it," Lawson seemed to realize all at once. "I can do whatever I want to him, and it's not gonna change a thing. When Chad sets his mind to it, that's it. There's no coming back." He then shot out of his chair with surprising speed for someone who'd been motionless for the past few hours. "But," he chuckled, a little insanely, "that's just it! Chaddy boy seems to have forgotten that when _I_ get my mind on something... _I_ don't stop 'til it's done." A cold, calculating smile that was shockingly demonic spread across his dirty face, revealing a row of yellow and equally as dirty teeth.

"What're you gonna do, man?" Rage finally spoke up from what felt like hours of silence.

Lawson shook his head, laughing in a mentally unstable way. It was like he hadn't even heard what the fire-head had said. "I'll show him. Hit where it hurts the most." He was staring off into the night.

"You mean...?" Rod asked, wincing, glancing down at his pants and then back up. Lawson didn't even exert the energy to roll his eyes.

All he said was eight words, making it clearly evident what he was about to do.

"If he won't get it done, _I will_."


	31. Complications

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: All I have to say is, you guys are absolutely amazing. Every last one of you, even if you don't review. Because my Story Traffic shows me how many of you read, and that means so much to me. Alexa is thrilled, too. And Darkestpowerslover234, they are obsessed with it because it's Chad's important bet to show that he's got balls, or he's not in. Ever. And, they are all drug-snorting, drinking, dirty-minded guys who are obsessed with dirty stuff :P . And FlareonRocks, I hope that's a good 'wow' hahaha!**

**By the way, check out my new one-shot, "Ghosts?" And participate in my new poll. It'll help determine what my next multi-chapter will be ;)**

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**Chapter 30: Complications**

Lawson trudged through the thick sand of the beach towards his bike as fast as he could, his nostrils flaring like a pissed off bull... which in a sense, he was. The cool beach breeze swirled around him, as if trying to push him backwards, but he didn't care at all. He had something that needed to get done. As in, _now_. He felt a tug on his arm, pulling him backwards; the exact _opposite_ of where he _wanted_ to be going, which made him more furious. His dark eyes met a pair of green ones.

"Whoa. Are you sure this is such a good idea, man?" Rage questioned, his eyes looking back and forth between Lawson's and the ground. The angry one jerked his arm out of the red head's grip easily, snorting.

"Are you kidding me? Who's freakin' side are you on, dude?"

Rage's eyes didn't meet Lawson's as he replied. "Yours! You just... you gotta think about this thing before you do it! What you're talkin' about... it's different than gettin' some drugs off of somebody or purse-snatchin', Lawson! This is... _different_."

"No, it ain't," he spat. "Chad obviously isn't gonna do anything. Somebody has to!"

"Why? Who cares if there's one more virgin in the world?"

"Why do _you_ care if there's one less?"

"I don't!" the fire head yelled, fists clenching by his sides. "I care about what—what's gonna happen to _you_! Raping someone is serious, dude! You're gonna be in some _serious_ shit after this..."

"She won't talk," Lawson rolled his midnight-black eyes.

"She won't have to," Rage countered, trying to catch the man's eyes. "People will be able to tell. Knowing you, you'll rough her up. Hurt her maybe. And on the small chance that people won't notice, Chad will. And he'll know exactly who did it."

"I ain't scared of that little blonde chicken shit."

"He'll be out for _blood_," he cautioned. "You know how Chad is when he's _majorly_ pissed. You taught him everything he knows, after all. And if _he_ doesn't get you, the police will. And I'd like to see you see your way out of a rape trial. In court, it ain't like marijuana possession. It's a top _felony_. You'd get locked up for life. You want that?"

Lawson just stared at Rage, his chest heaving up and down in anger. Unfortunately, he had a point. But his mind was clouded with anger, obscuring the little common sense that he possessed in the first place. He shook his head, hissing, "Just _watch me_."

Lawson strode quickly to his motorcycle, hopping on before anyone could stop him. He whipped his head to face Rage, and Rod, who was walking up the sandy hill towards him, too. His merciless eyes swept across both of their faces before he spoke. "If either of you want to get behind me, do it. If not..." his eyes flashed a warning, "stay out of my way."

Rod and Rage exchanged looks, before Rod marched up to Lawson's bike and nodded his large head. He flexed his muscles, making the skull on his arm open it's mouth. He smiled a devious grin, but it was almost half-hearted. "I'm right behind you, bro." Lawson was too caught up in what he was doing to notice how Rod's smile faded when he looked away. "But one problem, man." The man on the G-Strider rolled his eyes.

"What _now_?" he demanded.

"You don't know where she lives," Rod said obviously.

Lawson's devious grin disappeared in a flash. He cursed repeatedly, punching the handlebars of his bike in frustration. "Crap! _Shit shit shit_! You're right." Unknown to the other two, Rage smirked to himself behind their preoccupied backs. Suddenly, Lawson's hung head popped up. His eyes were bright, but _not_ in a good way. "Wait a damn minute here! Rod, didn't you say that you had to pick up Chad and Sonny on the side of the road a couple of weeks ago?"

Rod's eyes shifted. "Uh, yeah...? What's that got to do with anythin'?"

"Chad made you drive to the middle of nowhere and let them off, didn't he?"

"Well, yeah."

"That little..." he trailed off, shaking his head, laughing that unstable chuckle again. "He didn't want you to see where she lived! Oh, that little genius chicken shit." He muttered a couple of things that were unintelligible, but were no doubt horrible. His eyes rose to the two, glinting. "If he had to haul his bike back with him, it couldn't have been far. Her place _has_ to be somewhere near there. That's where we'll start looking."

Rod hopped on his bike and pulled up by Lawson. "Sounds good, man."

They both looked back at Rage, who was standing there in the sand, alone. Lawson rose his brows. "So, what's it gonna be, Rage? You coming or are you gonna be like Chad and stand by yourself with no backup?" The ginger's eyes snapped back and forth between the two. Silence. Finally, he groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine! Let me go get my ride." He muttered, "_Damn_."

It wasn't too long before Rage pulled up beside both of them, until they were in a perfect row. Lawson grinned in a way that would send shivers down the spine of anyone passing. "Lead the way, Rod."

* * *

Ms. Munroe stuck her head into Sonny's room, smiling. "Well, you two, I'm off."

Sonny grinned in encouragement, but then frowned. "Wait... Mom, isn't that dinner party that you were saying Leanne was throwing tonight, too?"

Her mother looked at the floor for a fraction of second, shuffling her feet. "Uh, yeah."

"Oh my God, Mom! Are you going to her party?" her daughter questioned, raising her brows in surprise. With all that's happened between Leanne and her mother's best friend, Rosie, Sonny figured that Ms. Munroe would be avoiding her like The Plague. Chad looked up from an advanced chemistry book that Sonny had practically forced into his hands as busy-work, this talk of his possible-new step mother catching his attention.

"Maybe..." she trailed off guiltily, shrugging in a heavy way.

"Is Rosie not going to be upset with you?" Sonny demanded.

"That's the thing," Ms. Munroe shrugged, "Rosie's coming with me."

Sonny almost couldn't believe it. "_Really_? I thought she hated Leanne."

Sonny's mother spared her a frustrated glance, tilting her head towards Chad in a 'don't-talk-badly-about-his-father's-girlfriend-in-front-of-him' way. Her daughter rolled her eyes exasperatedly.

"Well, sweetie, they don't... exactly... _get along_, but I wouldn't say _hate_..."

"I hate her, too, Ms. Munroe," Chad mentioned dully, not looking up from the book, turning a page.

Sonny's mom blinked. "Oh, okay, then! Well, I'm off! I bet she'll be trying to out-do my party. Well, we'll just see about that..." She turned to leave, but then backed up and caught Sonny's eye. She held up two fingers and pointed them towards her eyes, then directed them towards Sonny and up and down Chad. Ms. Munroe rose her eyebrows and Sonny nodded vigorously, clearly understanding the message. She flushed as her mother gave her one final nod, then left.

Both of them listened to her heels clack down the hall, down the staircase, and they heard the door close. They both sighed and relaxed, Chad shutting the book loudly and smirking at Sonny. She raised her eyebrows in a 'why-are-you-looking-at-me-like-that?' way. He spoke.

"Your mom still doesn't trust me," he stated like a fact. Because it was.

"It's not _you_ really," Sonny comforted him, rolling her eyes at her mother's behavior. "It's the male species altogether."

Chad smirked his signature smug smile that couldn't be copied. "But it's me, too."

She was silent for a moment before finally shrugging. "Yeah, it's you, too." He smiled, but it wasn't a genuine one. Sonny caught his expression and quickly explained. "I mean that as in, 'yeah, it's you... and all of your leather jackets and bikes and girls and... stuff'. Chad, it's not _you_ personally. But you've _had_ to have known that you aren't exactly a parent's dream."

Chad smiled at that. He popped his jacket. "They _do_ call me A Parent's Worst Nightmare."

Sonny laughed. "Exactly. See, it's not you. It's your... _rep_."

Chad looked down at the closed chemistry book in his lap and quickly moved it aside onto her mattress. He smiled innocently at her, patting the space beside him on the edge of the bed. "You gonna leave me all cold and alone over here, Munroe?"

Sonny looked at him, the empty space beside him, and then back to him. She remembered:

_Sonny nearly fainted from a crazed adrenaline rush when she felt something unfamiliar. His tongue was slipping into her mouth. Her knees gave out, but only but for a few seconds, before she forced herself to stand up again and thrusts herself at him. She quickly slipped her tongue into ____his__ mouth, her arms tightly winding around his neck. He impossibly deepened it, making Sonny run her hands up through his hair longingly._

"Uh, yep!" she said shortly, reopening the book in her lap. Her eyes raked the page, but she wasn't really reading. Sonny just needed somewhere to look besides _him_, because she worried that he could all to easily change her mind. Before she knew it, his hand was creeping over the top of the book, pulling it down until it was discarded on her floor, his face taking it's place.

"Oh, c'mon," Chad grinned toothily. "I'm bored. I need entertainment."

Sonny kept her face calm despite the hard thumping in her chest. "Well, there are plenty of books here to choose from. Go crazy."

Chad tried to keep himself from frowning like a child that was being denied dessert before dinner. "I'm not really in the mood for reading, Munroe."

"Well, that's just too bad then, isn't it?" Sonny smiled toothily back, acting completely oblivious. Chad just rolled his eyes. He'd always played games with girls before, but not where the girl was acting resistant. This relationship was _so new_ to him.

Chad bit his lip, looking down, thinking. He suddenly looked back up at her, smiling in a way that made her hammering heart only thump more quickly. "You sure we can't do anything? I know that _you're_ bored, too, Sonny." He used her first name vigorously, like he did when they'd first started tutoring. She gave him a sparing look; not annoyed, but a little irked.

"_Chad_, no," she told him sternly.

"'No' what?"

"You _know_ 'no' what," Sonny sighed, raising her right eyebrow. He huffed and sat back down on the end of her double bed, pouting in an unfairly endearing way.

"God forbid I lay a finger on you," he mumbled unhappily, slamming back against the pillows. Even though he'd muttered, she'd heard him quite clearly.

"My mom trusts me, Chad. She had enough faith in me to leave us alone for a couple of hours. I'm not betraying her trust like that. It's—"

"God, Sonny, it's not like I was trying to get you to sleep with me!" Chad exclaimed, a little ticked. "I was just thinking we could...could..."

"_Could_ what?"

"I don't know!" he groaned. "Just something!" Sonny sighed heavily and got off of her stool, taking his hand and pulling him up to where he was facing her.

"Sorry, Chad," she apologized, smiling tiredly. "I just... think it'd be for the best if _right now_, we didn't... do anything. Okay?" He sourly looked away from her. He'd thought once they'd starting dating that it'd be easier to get her to... well, _kiss_ him. It was proving to be just as hard as when they were simple acquaintances. "Hey! I've got an idea!" Chad still didn't look at her. "We... we haven't gone next door in a while."

"Next door?" he questioned, wondering what that meant. They'd never left her house to go to another.

"_I mean_," she laughed, pulling him off of her bed, "in the next room! You know, the piano?"

He honestly couldn't believe that he was saying this, but it was the truth. "I'm not really not in the mood to play right now. Sorry." Chad looked a little apologetic, but his face was mostly clouded by sourness over the fact he couldn't get her to freakin' _kiss him_.

She stuck out her bottom lip. "Ugh! So all we are going to do for two hours is sit here and do nothing?"

"I can think of a couple of things we could—"

"_Chaaad_. No means no!"

He snorted. "That sounds like something out of Sex Ed. class."

"I'm serious!"

"Well I'm not talking about that, Sonny! Can you not even kiss me?" he demanded. It felt awkward saying this, but he'd been trying to avoid it. She made him say it!

"I don't think that's the best idea. I mean, my mom isn't here and we could easily get—"

"Sonny, for the _billionth_ time, I am _not_ going to make you do anything you don't want to do. Why can't you just believe me?" Chad moaned. He was getting a little aggravated here! "Just sit on the freakin' bed with me! I'm not going to molest you!" Sonny was a little taken aback by his outburst, but gently sat beside him, hands twisting in her lap. He put an arm around her shoulders, but did nothing else. A moment of silenced passed between them. Suddenly, Chad whispered, "Oh my God, Sonny, look! You're still alive!"

"Shut up!" she laughed, playfully hitting his chest. Which was rock hard. _Ugh_.

"We could watch a movie or something," he suggested lightly, playing with a strand of her soft hair. Sonny shrugged in agreement, scooting back further on her bed to where she was leaning against the pillows comfortably. She grabbed the TV remote off of her bedside table and quickly switched it on. It took a couple of channel flips for Sonny to realize that Chad was still sitting on the end of the bed, sitting awkwardly.

"C'mon, Chad," Sonny grinned, patting the space beside her. He turned to look at her. "'You gonna leave me all cold and alone over here'?" she quoted him.

"'I don't know if that's the best idea'," he feigned panic, his voice octaves higher, like a girl's. Sonny laughed at this impersonation.

"I do _not_ sound like that."

"You _so_ do," he continued in that girly tone, batting his eyelashes.

"No, seriously, come on," she said, without a trace of a smile, patting the spot beside her. He rolled his eyes with a smirk and scooted further up, until they were right beside one another. "You okay with HBO?"

"Sounds fine to me," he yawned. Sonny typed in the appropriate channel numbers, and it seemed that a movie was just starting. She hit the 'info' button to see what it was. _Live Free or Die Hard_ it read. "_That_ is a good movie," Chad nodded in approval.

"Doesn't this have Bruce Willis?"

"_Anything_ that has Bruce Willis is awesome," Chad said in a 'duh' tone. "That means there's lots of fighting and explosions."

Sonny rolled her eyes at his boy-ness and turned up the volume a little bit. But just as the opening credits were beginning, a rumbling was heard. Sonny's brows pulled together. "It's not supposed to rain today, is it?"

"That's not thunder," Chad stiffened beside her, but she didn't notice.

"Is it in the movie, then?" she wondered. Sonny almost jumped when she saw that he was in front of her window. She didn't even remember feeling him get up! He was staring down at the circular driveway. Sonny's eyebrows furrowed. "Chad? What is it?" His fists were clenching and unclenching at his sides, sending a surge of panic through her body. He rounded on her, staring at her with so much intensity that it was frightening.

"_Stay. here,_" he hissed quietly, anger burning in his eyes. Sonny got off of her bed and tried to peer out of her window to see what the big problem was, but Chad blocked her way. Fright surged through her body again at the mere _look_ of him. His eyes were dark, his fists were clenched, he was staring at her with something that was almost a _glare_. This was the exact Chad that had been in her nightmares.

"W-what is it, Chad?" she stuttered. This felt just like when she'd met him. He cornered her against the bed, making Sonny fall back onto it. She quickly scrambled away from him, fear evident in her eyes.

"_Look at me_, Sonny!" he barked. "Don't, under any circumstances, leave this room. Don't even look out your window!" Chad rounded and jammed her curtains shut. She was so confused! One minute they were lying down peacefully, the next he's yelling at her to not move.

"Tell me what's wrong, Chad!"

"Don't move!" he repeated dangerously, heading towards her door. Sonny hopped off of the bed and grabbed his arm. He looked back at her with a glare that made her feel like _he_ was dangerous, but she didn't waver.

"Chad, tell me! I want to know the reason why I can't even leave my own house! This is ridiculous! What's going on? Who's down there?"

"You want to know? Fine! Lawson and Rod and Rage are down there, Sonny! And they aren't just _stopping by_ to say _hello_!" Chad informed her, fuming. "They're here because they have a problem with something _I'm_ doing. You need to stay up here for your own safety, okay? _Don't move a damn muscle_."

Before she could object any further, Chad rushed out her bedroom door and slammed it in her face.


	32. Confrontation

**Summary: ****A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Okay, yes, I know this is LONG overdue. And not only did I not update for a month, I left you with a cliffhanger. I hate it when people do that to me for long periods of time. I am in the wrong here. I suck. BUT, for the past 3 weeks, we had family over, and I went to a two-week long theater camp, so that explains part of my disappearance. But I'm back, and hopefully this chapter will be worth the wait. Again, I'm sorry. Language warning here, too. I changed to rating to M just to be safe.**

**And I wouldn't blame any of you if you don't review. I totally deserve it by keeping you waiting. But then again, it'd be nice to know you're all still reading and didn't think I stopped writing the story and stopped reading. But still, if you hate me forever, I get it.**

* * *

**Chapter 31: Confrontation**

Everything was slow. Dark. It was like the sun was scared, too, and decided to hide. The clouds shrouded it, as if they were protecting it. The floor creaked with every step that was taken. Vision seemed blurry, surreal, almost not there. Things seemed to have, all of a sudden, taken a turn for the worst.

Chad stared unseeingly ahead, anger almost making him unresponsive to anything else. He zoned in on the stairs in front of him and went down them slowly, aware, staring at the door all the while. The door: the only thing standing in between Lawson and him. His dark blue eyes narrowed the nearer he approached, reaching for the knob, twisting it without a second thought, and pulling the door open.

There stood the man himself, playing disinterestedly with a stray string hanging off of the edge of his leather vest. At hearing the door open, he glanced up but kept his head tilted downward. A dirty smirk pulled at the edges of his mouth, but he kept his voice low.

"Hello, Chaddy boy."

A low growl erupted from deep in Chad's throat. "_What_ do you _want_?" he seethed.

"Oh, I want a lot of things," Lawson shrugged nonchalantly, as if they were talking about the weather. "I want a garage full of the rarest bikes on the West coast, I want a new leather vest, I'm pretty fond of that jacket you're wearing..." he reached forward to touch the jacket, but Chad pulled away hastily, "...I want someone in my gang who _shows up _when they're supposed to..." his voice was increasing in volume with every word he said, "... and you know something else that wouldn't be bad?" The dirty man glanced upstairs, his eyes swimming. Lawson smiled, yellow teeth and all. "A pretty little virgin."

Instantly, Chad was upon him. Their noses were a centimeter apart, Chad's eyes staring mercilessly into Lawson's unintimidated ones. His voice was so threatening, so angry, so _vile_ that it was hard to believe he was whispering. "If you so much as _touch_ her, I'll kick your ass SO hard that my _FOOT_ will be sticking out of your dirty mouth."

"Oh, come now, Chad," Lawson tisked, eyes as calm as could be. "Don't be like that. Me and the boys just wanna have a little fun!"

"I thought she was 'my chick to bang'," Chad rolled his eyes furiously, the thought making a shiver of revolting hate slither up his spine. Lawson shook his head.

"That's right, Chad. _Was_. But you, being the little chicken shit that you are, softened up and struck out. Your time is up," he whispered, eyes dancing with devilish glee. "Now it's _my_ turn."

Chad's mind raced with a speed it never had before. Seeing as, even though he was a great fighter, he was clearly outnumbered, physical confrontation was the last thing that would work in his favor. In a mere second, he quickly decided to go with the mental approach. Most of the time, reasoning with Lawson wasn't impossible. He liked making bets, making deals. It was alcohol, or a drug, or gambling to him. He was addicted.

"It's only been a couple of months, man," Chad said suddenly, calmer, although it was just a front. Inside, he was as angry as a bull surrounded by red walls. "That isn't nearly enough time—"

"It's almost been _three months_, you moron! Three!" Lawson exclaimed. "That should plenty of time! Especially if you're one of us. What the hell, man? I've seen you break down a self-respectin' girl in an hour!"

"But they weren't _virgins_," Chad hissed. "Have you ever done a virgin?" Lawson didn't respond, looking at the ground, his silence proud but resentful. "That's what I thought," he nodded. "You don't know what they're like. They don't know the passion, the _want_, so usually, they don't really want it. Not as bad, anyways. Do you see what I'm getting at here?"

"No," Lawson said shortly. "And I don't care. Screw her and get it over with, or _I will_." Lawson tried to maneuver around the blonde, but Chad's arm quickly stopped him. The biking leader glared at it as if he was trying to burn a hole through it with his eyes, then his fixed stare turned to Chad. The boy had never seen him at his absolute worst, and he was about to.

His words were so slow that they sounded like separate sentences. "_Move. Your. Arm._"

The scariest thing was how much Chad's words matched Lawson's. "_Make. Me._"

It all happened so fast.

And Sonny had a perfect view of it.

She peeked out of her curtain, her heart thumping so hard that it was all she could hear. There were the four bikers, their bikes to the side grass, forgotten. Rod and Rage were standing back, arms crossed, watching, waiting for orders. Lawson and Chad were face to face, muttering things to each other, spitting on the ground at each other's feet, pushing each other in the shoulder.

Suddenly, Lawson tried to get around him and go into the house, but Chad's arm stopped him. They shared lethal looks of pure hatred, then Lawson said something. Chad returned it. Then, BAM. It was chaos.

Sonny gasped as Lawson sent a flying fist into Chad's stomach. She held her breath as Chad went down on one knee for only a second, holding his stomach, his eyes shut tight in pain. But he was quickly back up, sending a head blow to Lawson's left ear. Lawson crumbled for a moment, hands over his ear, a head-splitting ringing filling his dirty ears. He winced as he glared at Chad, as if saying, 'oh, you've done it now'.

Then it was an endless array of flying kicks, fists, pushes, yelling, and Sonny screamed. At first glance, it would appear Chad was losing, but whenever he got a hit in on Lawson, Lawson stayed down longer. Then Chad took a horribly hard kick to the side, and he went down.

That was it. She couldn't stand there any longer and watch him get hurt. She had to do something! As fast as she could, Sonny ran out of her doorway, down the stairs, down the foyer, and out the door.

"STOP! STOP IT!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, tears of fear for herself and for Chad running down her face. The brawl was so heated that they didn't hear her. But Rage and Rod stood straighter, more still, at her presence. "STOP! QUIT IT! STOP HITTING HIM!" Sonny yelled shrilly, launching herself into the middle of them. She didn't know how she did it, but she ended up having a hand on each of their chests, holding them apart. They took in one another's appearance.

Breathing heavily, they surveyed each other with warning eyes. Lawson was putting most of his weight on one leg, it looked like his left ear was swelling, and he was bleeding somewhere in his mouth. Chad, however, was clutching his stomach, slightly hunched over, with a busted lip and forehead bleeding.

Then their eyes turned to Sonny. Lawson looked as if he was staring at a plate of delicious fudge on the other side of a thin piece of glass. Chad looked unbelievably pissed... and, she couldn't believe it, _scared_. All it took was one look at Lawson and Chad had Sonny, pushing her behind him. He turned to her with blazing fury and... fear.

"_What_ the _fuck_ are you doing out here?" he hissed. "I thought I told you to _stay locked in your room_!"

Sonny was so confused. Unfortunately, she still didn't realize that this fight was about her, so she had just assumed that he wanted her upstairs so she wouldn't get hurt. Not that she was the delicious meal kept from being eaten. Well, until now.

"You—you were getting hurt!" Sonny stumbled over her words. "I couldn't—I couldn't just watch and not do anything!"

"Better me than you!" Chad yelled. Sonny's eyebrows pulled together.

"What? Chad, what are you talking about?"

Lawson began laughing, finding the small crack in Chad's plan that could break them. He kept laughing, almost maniacally, making Sonny look over her boyfriend's shoulder in fear, and a look of sickly guilt overwhelm Chad's face.

"Oh!" Lawson laughed, almost clutching his stomach. His smirk was so big that his face looked like it would break from the stress. "Oh, Chad, you devil you!" Sonny looked back and forth between Chad and Lawson, eyebrows knitted. What was going on? "You _didn't_!" he gasped in fake concern. Chad's head remained down, his back facing the man. "You didn't tell her, did you, Chaddy?"

"Sonny, go back inside," he whispered desperately, putting his hands on her shoulders, trying to push her back towards the door.

"Oh, Sonny, you didn't know," Lawson shook his head, shaking with laughter.

"Chad, what is he talking about?" she stopped him.

"It's nothing," he said quickly.

"Oh, it's _everything_!" the rough biker boomed. "Everything you thought you and Chaddy boy here were."

"What does he mean 'thought'?" Sonny asked, but Chad was still trying to push her back towards the door.

"It's not anything you need to worry about. He's just—"

"Nothing to worry about? I beg to differ, Chaddy," Lawson smiled innocently at Sonny. "I'd be worried if someone was secretly trying to screw me."

"_Excuse me_?" she was losing her breath, panicking at the fact that Chad wasn't trying to deny it. She stood as still as she could, resisting Chad's push. He stared into her eyes desperately, trying to make her understand how much she needed to be protected. But she refused to move.

"Sonny, you don't understand, you HAVE to get inside—"

"I don't think I do," she breathed disbelievingly, yanking his hands off of her shoulders. "_What_ are they talking about, Chad?" He was silent, staring at her with a look of defeat, mouth trying to form words. "Is it true?" she whispered, throat aching. "Were you just... just _pretending_ this whole—?"

"_NO_, I was NOT pretending," he stopped her right there, shaking her shoulders. "Don't you _dare_ think that even for a second."

"Yeah, Sonny," Lawson grinned. "He wasn't pretending. He liked you so much that we decided to make a bet with him that he could screw a virgin to make it into my little biking gang."

She was so hurt, so betrayed, so angry at him and herself, so _embarrassed_, that she began to cry. And the fact that she was crying in front of all of them made her even more embarrassed. Chad went white.

"You... you... I kn-knew it fr-from the beginning!" she spluttered, tears soaking her face. "I knew you were a b-bad person! I knew there w-was s-something w-wrong with you!" Chad was a loss for words. She let out in a heartbroken whisper, "_I trusted you_. You... you _promised_ you weren't going t-to—"

"Sonny, every word of that was true!" Chad finally found his voice, looking her directly in her teary brown eyes. "I would _never ever_ force you into anything! You have to believe me!"

"I don't have to b-believe a s-single thing you s-say!" she cried. "Why sh-should I? You've been lying to me f-for the past three m-months!"

"No, I haven't!" Chad tried to get her to listen, not only his heart, but his whole body aching. "I didn't know you yet when the bet was made! Sonny, I promise you, the more I was around you... the less of lie it became."

"Oh, whatever, Chad! You just w-wanna get _laid_!" The word made her cry even harder.

"No, Sonny, no! I don't want to have sex with you at all!" Sonny gasped and hit him on his already sore arm. He winced and spit out, "Well, I _do_, but I wouldn't—" she hit him again "—_Damn it_, Sonny! What do you want me to say?"

Lawson was having a laughing fit a few feet away. Sonny ignored him and focused all of her anger on the culprit for her pain. "Nothing! I don't want to h-hear a _single thing_ you have to say, Chad!"

"Sonny, look at me!" Chad begged, putting both hands on the sides of her face. "Why do you think they're here?"

"What the heck are you talking about _now_?" she rolled her eyes, completely fed up.

"If things were going to way they were 'supposed' to, why do you think Lawson is here?" he said slowly, looking deep into her eyes. "Why else do you think we're fighting? Why do you think he brought back up?" he asked, referring to Rod and Rage. "He's pissed because I'm spending all of my time with you, avoiding them, and... _not_ screwing you."

Sonny was silent for a moment, sizing him up, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. Her eyes shifted to Lawson, who was looking angry again and no longer amused. His face was enough of an answer for her. For a few seconds, Lawson and Sonny shared eye contact, and she felt his defiance, his anger, and his _possessiveness_. She launched herself into Chad's arms, so confused and mislead by all that had been revealed in the past few minutes. He hugged her to him tightly, running his hand through her hair.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Sonny," he whispered over and over again in her ear.

She didn't answer, she just kept a tight grip around his neck. She made the mistake of looking up at Lawson, and his face was clouded with complete and utter fury. His fists were clenched at his sides, knuckles white.

"Enough of that shit!" Lawson bellowed, looking like a rabies-infected dog who wanted to rip someone's throat out. "Turn around and face me, Cooper! For once in your miserable life, be a fuckin' man!"

Chad slowly released Sonny, trying to hide the anger in his eyes as he looked her in hers. "Go inside," he whispered to her softly, but forcefully.

"But, you can't just—"

"I _can_, and I will. Go inside and lock the—"

"If you don't hurry up and face me, Chad, I'll screw her right here and now and _make you watch_!"

"_What_?" Sonny squeaked.

"That's why I'm here, baby," he sneered, furiously staring her down like he could eat her, "your precious Chaddy here is too much of a piece of chicken shit to do it... so _I'm about to_."

Sonny screamed and ran inside as fast as she could, slamming the door loudly behind her and locking every lock that was on that thing. She watched through the window beside the door, Lawson trying to chase after her, but Chad holding him off. They began punching each other again, the two in a seemingly endless battle as both seemed to refuse to lose. For the next ten minutes, they fought to the death, bleeding and swollen, black and blue, stepping back from each other finally. Both could barely stand, afraid to get on any knees. It was certain the other would attack the first one who went down.

"Hey, Lawson, I thought you said you were gonna take care of him," Rod cut in quietly, tired of standing around when it was clear that Chad refused to lose.

"Yeah," Rage agreed. He'd been opposed to this from the beginning, but was trying desperately not to get involved in something that wasn't his fight. For one, it wasn't really his business, and two, Lawson could kick anyone's ass. He'd never lost a fight, but now he was about to collapse, and the other one was still standing. "Dude, this is pointless. Who cares if the virgin gets screwed? Can't we just leave?"

"NO!" he screamed, rounding on them. He was a scary sight, covered in blood, lip and right eye swollen, left ear red, yellow teeth stained red. "I'm gonna get the fuckin' girl if it's the last thing I do! And nobody is gonna stop me! Not you, not Rod, not Chad, not nobody!" His eyes were insane as he turned back to Chad. "Ya hear me, Chad? You ain't gonna stop me. I'm gonna finish you off. You know, I never liked you much anyways. You always wanted me gone. You wanted this gang for yourself! Oh, shit, man... you'll never get it. I'll show you what it's like to lose something you love."

"What?" Chad asked breathlessly. "_That's_ what this is all about?"

"Of course it is!" he screamed. "You disrespect my authority, you laugh with Rod and Rage behind my back, you never listen to me or obey me, you beat me in that stupid belching contest, and now you won't even go through with a freakin' bet! It's obvious that you wanna take over!"

"Lawson, we don't _laugh_ at you behind your back," Rage shook his head.

"YES, YOU DO! I KNOW YOU DO!" he yelled insanely. "And Chad leads all you guys! If he's gone, everything's solved." He grinned, showing bloody and yellow teeth. "And plus, that's a fine little piece of hot womanhood you got there, Chaddy. It won't only be fun to screw her just to let you watch, but I wanna a piece a 'dat," he laughed, turning to Rod and Rage like they would laugh, too, but they didn't. Their faces were stone cold. He coughed awkwardly and turned back around to Chad, who was looking the angriest yet.

Chad was shaking with fury, but part of it was his body reacting to all of the pain it was in, mentally and physically.

"Lawson, I don't think—"

"Shut _up_, Rage!" the man exploded.

Then something happened that no one saw coming.

Rage punched him out.

Lawson crumbled to the ground, look of complete pain, but no regret, on his face. He laid there, motionless. They couldn't even tell if he was breathing. Chad stared at Rage in surprise, as did Rod.

"Did—did you just... _what_ the _hell_?" the blonde sputtered.

Rage was breathing heavily, staring down at the motionless man. "You guys have _no idea_ how long I've been wanting to do that."

They all stared at Lawson's body, lying there, bloody and bruised. After what seemed like an hour of silence, but was really just a few minutes, Rod spoke.

"He... dead?"

Rage disinterestedly poked Lawson's body with his foot. He sighed, almost in a sad way. "Naw. I just knocked him out. Hit him right in the head."

"Thank God," Chad breathed, dropping to his knees in much needed relief. He turned at hearing Sonny rush out, leaning down to the ground and hugging him to her.

"Are you okay?" she demanded, backing up so she could get a good look at him. She gasped loudly. "Oh, Chad! Oh my god..." She hastily took his hand and led him inside with her. "We have _got_ to get you cleaned up. Oh god, your head is bleeding!"

He laughed heavily. "Sonny, I'll be fine. I've gotten in worse fights than this."

"I don't care," she said worriedly. "Come on."

Chad turned to Rod and Rage. He motioned uncertainly between them. "Are... are _we_ cool?"

Rod and Rage exchanged a look, looked at Chad, and then to Sonny. They looked at one another again, as if affirming something, then they replied. Rod grinned, "Yeah, we cool, man."

As if reading each other's mind, they all glanced down to Lawson. Chad voiced all of their thoughts. "Well... what are we gonna do with him?"

Rod shrugged. "I'll put him on the back of my bike and we'll ride him back to the beach. We'll come back and get his bike later."

"But what are you going to do when he wakes up?" Sonny asked.

All of the guys looked at one another. "We'll just tell him that he got wasted at a bar and got in a fight with someone. He's an angry drunk."

"But won't he—?"

"No, he shouldn't remember anythin'," Rage shook his head. "I hit him in the head real hard. Enough to knock him out. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't remember his own name!"

"But what if he _does_ remember?" Chad clarified, wiping a drop of blood off of his eyebrow before it ran down into his eye.

"Then..." Rod looked to Rage for help.

"We'll tell him he was hallucinating. That none of it even happened."

"You think he'll buy it?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

* * *

Chad sat on the kitchen counter, watching Sonny as she wet a wash rag with warm water and squeezed it out into the sink. She glanced at the clock on the microwave across the room. "We have to hurry up and get you clean. My mom is supposed to be home in thirty minutes and she _can't_ see you like this."

"Hey, look, Sonny... I'm so sorry—"

"Yes, I know. You've only told me about a hundred times since we've gotten inside and your friends left."

"I know, but I should have told you about the bet earlier. Guess I was just scared you were gonna run off."

"Well," she grinned, but there was something behind it. "I didn't. I wanted to, but I didn't." Chad hid how much that hurt. He let out the pain through pretending his cuts and bruises were hurting.

"Nah ah ah!" Sonny shook her head. "Put that ice back on your knee, mister. You're getting better. And soon."

"Yes, ma'am," he smirked. Chad moved the bag of ice he'd put on the counter beside him back to his knee. Sonny walked over with the rag in hand and stared sadly at the blood stain on his shirt right under his neck. She pulled down the neckline of his white shirt, but it strained the material and made him wince.

"Okay, this isn't working," she said. "Take it off." Chad rose his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes, laughing. "I can't reach the cut with your shirt's neckline."

"Oh, I know," he grinned. "I'd just... always pictured this moment differently."

"Oh, shut up!" she laughed, hitting his arm. He gasped sharply and Sonny jumped. "Oh! Sorry! Sorry!"

"It's fine," he muttered, trying to smile, but it came off as more of a grimace.

"Okay, c'mon," she told him, reaching to the bottom of his shirt and starting to pull upwards. He slowly and carefully rose his arms. As the shirt reached his shoulders, he slowly pulled his arms out of the arm holes and dropped them to his sides, wincing all the while. Sonny pulled it off of his head and folded it, placing it on the counter beside them. She balled up the rag and slowly approached the wound, biting her lip. It wasn't just a small little cut. She didn't know how Lawson had managed to gash him this much, but he had. "This will sting just a little bit," she warned.

"Great," he muttered sarcastically.

The rag softly came in contact with the cut and Chad bit his lip, holding in the cry of pain. It stung like _hell_. Sonny dabbed it lightly, and it hurt a little less every time. It wasn't long before it was clean and she covered it with an extra large band aid.

"A band aid will have to do for now," she smiled. "But put a bandage on it as soon as you can, okay?"

"Will do, nurse," he grinned smugly. "Hey... I think I may have a really bad gash on my leg. But you can't reach it by rolling up my pants..."

"Oh, Chad, shut up!" Sonny laughed, cheeks red. He winked harmlessly at her. As Sonny rinsed out the rag and applied some alcohol to it, Chad looked around the kitchen nonchalantly. While he was glancing around, Sonny took a peek at him through her hair. She had really tried not to look earlier... but when you're inches from it, it's hard not to. He had abs. And biceps. And pretty much everything. Ugh.

She took a deep breath and walked back over to him, addressing the nasty cut on his forehead now. She pulled his hair out of the way, dabbing it gently. He winced and muttered a few words she wouldn't care to repeat, but she didn't blame him at all. Chad eventually adjusted to the pain and watched her face as she cleaned the cut. She wouldn't make eye contact with him, but that gave him plenty of time to study her face. Long, dark lashes, chocolate eyes with a gold ring around the pupils, full lips... this so wasn't fair. He was in too much of a 'I-respect-you-and-your-physical-contact-restrictions' situation to try and sneak a kiss in. Plus, his lip was still bleeding. That'd be gross.

She finished and squeezed out the rag, hiding it in the drawer next to the sink. Her mom didn't need to see a bloody rag and have questions. When she was done, she leaned against the counter next to him, sighing deeply. Chad put a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing circles with his thumb.

"I need to tell you something," she finally said. Chad's heart sank as he realized she was frowning. "Tonight was... yeah. And... I think that... maybe it'd be best if we—"

"If we _what_?" Chad asked quickly. There was no way. No way he'd just given an arm and a leg—literally!—for a girl who was about to dump him. No way.

"Well... if _I_ had—had a little space... for a while," she finished quietly, staring ahead.

"What?" Chad choked out.

"I am _not_ breaking up with you," Sonny said quickly, turning to him. "That's the last thing I want to do. Just... your friends... and tonight... and I think for both of us it'd be best if we took a little break. For my safety and yours, and all of this drama has been going on since we started tutoring... and I think it's stressed us out way too much lately... and I think we just need to take a little space. Do you know what I mean?"

Yes. And no. He understood where she was coming from, but this didn't faze him much. He was used to illegal drugs, alcohol, bars, fighting... but _she_ wasn't. That was the point. This was probably some go-see-a-shrink material right here for a small town girl. Especially for a goody-goody like Sonny.

"Chad?"

Oh, right. He hadn't answered yet.

"Sonny..." he began, then saw her face. She was looking at him with the utmost hopefulness, almost a puppy dog pout. "I... I get what you're saying. To be clear, you're... NOT breaking up with me?"

"No! Of course not!" she exclaimed hastily. "After all of that out there, how could I? Even if none of that had happened, I'm still happy with us. What about you?"

"Yeah," Chad smiled. "Yeah, I am. But I'm glad that you know about that God damn bet. I'm really sorry—"

"I know, I know," she grinned, rolling her eyes. Sonny took his hand and squeezed it lightly. "And it won't be long. I just need... some _space_. Space to breathe."


	33. Resolutions

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: I'm glad you all liked the last chapter. And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, go vote in my profile poll, because it's tied right now! Because this story is about over and I need to know what my next project will be so I can get started on it ASAP. Thank you, glorious people! :P**

* * *

**Chapter 32: Resolutions**

Sonny was lying on her bed, the television on full blast, with a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream in her lap. She shoveled in another bite of the green delicious goodness, sighing. She knew that it was _her_ idea to do this whole break thing, but that didn't mean that it wasn't hard. This stunk, not having Chad around. The last time she'd talked to him was the night after The Incident (that's what she called it now), and it was him telling her about Lawson's condition.

Unfortunately, he had not lost his memory. He remembered everything as clearly as he would have if he hadn't of been knocked out. But there _was_ good news. Rage had hit the man hard enough, and apparently in exactly the right spot, to result in an adjusted personality. Lawson was still a little... pervy, but he'd seemed to have lost his insanity and crazed desire to take Chad down.

Chad, of course, didn't risk going to see Lawson even if this personality-change business was true. Because even though he might have changed some, that didn't excuse what he did, what he said, and what he had _wanted_ to do to Sonny. Chad didn't go see him for his own safety, and for Lawson's. The blonde would be liable to rip his head off if he was within range.

Rage, Rod, and Chad all seemed closer now. They always had been close, but they'd usually intimidate and unfairly pressure one another when a bet was made or a fight was sprung. Now, they were almost _kinder_. Seeing not only one of their own, but their _leader_, go completely psycho as a result of that ruthless behavior seemed to make them all see the light. Chad still lived with Rage, but the two were chummier than before. And whenever Lawson was going to come over, Rage always made sure to give Chad a few hours' warning beforehand. See, before The Incident, Rage would never have given Chad notice. He just would have sat back and watched the fireworks fly, entertained.

Sonny was glad that such a negative night seemed to have such a positive influence on everyone. Except her and Chad. She had forgiven him for the horrible bet, but that didn't mean that she wasn't still hurt. Heck, thinking of it would probably always hurt. It doesn't matter if you're eighteen or fifty, knowing that a relationship started just because that person was under a bet to sleep with you? It stung!

And she hated having to take time away from him. She had to admit, it wasn't nearly as satisfying or relaxing as she thought it'd be. Sure, she _was_ having time to clear her mind and calm down, which was the point, but she felt upset or anxious because Chad wasn't around. No one to hang out with. No one's hand to hold. No sparkly blue eyes or signature smirk. No anything. It'd been weeks since that horrible night with Chad's gang.

Speaking of no one to hang out with, things hadn't yet been resolved with Rachel. They hadn't spoken since the fight in the hallway. And that was... let's see... three weeks ago? Sonny had gone almost a month without speaking to her best friend. Her only friend. And with Chad gone, things felt very lonely. She didn't have anyone to talk to, anyone to laugh with, anyone to hug, cook, or watch movies with. It made her feel like a loser, it really did.

She was so deep in thought and trying to find the cure to her misery on the bottom of the ice cream tub that Sonny almost missed her cell phone ringing. As she picked it up off of her night table, she almost couldn't believe it. Speak of the devil!

_Incoming call..._

**Rachel**

That was what it read. It was almost creepy. She'd just been thinking about her and their friendship, and then she decides to call? That was odd.

But then again, just because she missed Rachel didn't mean that she wasn't still mad at her. She'd just judged her boyfriend based on rumor and wouldn't even give him a chance! That was still a sore spot with Sonny, so she debated on whether or not to answer. Half of her, the angry half, was screaming _no_, while the lonely half was screaming _yes_.

She sighed and hit the answer button before Rachel hung up. She guessed it was now or never, huh?

"Hello?"

"Um... hi," came the timid voice of her former best friend.

"Hi," Sonny said with equal enthusiasm. "Rachel... why'd you call?"

She heard her sigh into the receiver, making it sound like static for a second. "I, uh... I think we need to talk." Sonny was silent. "I've had almost a month to reflect on, ya know, what happened... and I need to talk with you about it. I don't like having no one to talk to. I don't like having no one to hang around with, and I don't like fighting with you. Even if I didn't agree with your, um, love life... I shouldn't have totally exploded on you like that."

Sonny let out a long exhale. She's been waiting for nearly a month to hear this. To hear Rachel's voice.

"Well..." she muttered. Sonny really wasn't sure of what to say. This sudden call was so unexpected. "Why now?"

"Well..." Rachel trailed off, sounding a little hurt, "I just thought that I needed to apologize and call you—"

"No, no, no," Sonny cut her off quickly. "I don't mean it like that! I'm glad you called... it's just out of the blue..."

Rachel sighed a long, heavy sigh again. "I've been wanting to call you for a while now. But I was being such a stubborn chicken. I didn't want to admit that I was wrong, even thought a few weeks past our fight it became pretty clear to me that I was. And I was scared of calling you and—and pouring out how sorry I was, and you would still be mad and not accept my apology and hang up or something..."

"Oh, Rach," Sonny laughed sadly, "no need to worry about that. You know, it was really weird, because I was just thinking about how much I missed you and wished we could work this out."

"Really?" She sounded relieved. "Thank God! I was scared I was alone here and you were doing just fine without me."

"Well, you were wrong," Sonny laughed.

"Oh, and something else..."

"Yeah?"

"One of the real reasons I called was because... Chad called me."

Sonny sat straight up on her bed, nearly knocking over the tub of ice cream. She didn't know what to think of this news. Was it good? Was it bad? Why would Chad be calling Rachel? Sonny was involuntarily feeling jealous at the thought of Chad calling a girl, let alone her best friend, that he never really talked to.

"Did he now? Why'd he call?" she tried to ask calmly.

"He... he really made me see the light," Rachel laughed to herself. Sonny could just picture her shaking her head, her light brown hair moving along with it. "He called me to talk to me about... you two."

"Us?" Sonny clarified. This conversation just made her miss him more.

"Yeah. He knew about our problem... well, _my_ problem with _him_. It was so embarrassing talking to him. It felt so different talking to him about the bad stuff he's done to his face, ya know? I told him about all of the things I'd seen and heard, and I didn't trust him. I let him know how much the things he did disgusted me and how you didn't deserve someone like that. And he just stayed quiet the whole time and listened to what I had to say. That was the first thing that told me he'd changed. He didn't fight with me or anything, he just let me get everything out there.

And then he said, 'You're right'. And that totally threw me for a loop. I was like, 'What?'. He told me that everything I'd said about him was true, and that he could totally see where I was coming from. And then I went on to tell him about how you were going on and on about how he wasn't who I thought he was, and how you saw another side to him that he never liked to show. And he said that was right. Then I told him about how I asked for proof, and how you wouldn't tell me, because you said you'd promised him you wouldn't tell.

Then he started talking about how great you were, that even when you were about to lose your best friend, you still kept his secret. And Chad started going on and on about you, and I was almost getting sick to my stomach about how much he was talking about you. And while I _didn't_ feel like barfing—" Sonny laughed, cheeks red "—I was thinking how weird it was that _Chad Dylan Cooper_, the school's worst-behaved guy, who screwed girls then plucked them off, who never even talked good about his girlfriends before they did anything sexual... was talking about you like you hung the moon in the sky. And I knew that you were right.

My mind was already convinced, then he started telling me the reason he called. He told me how he _had_ actually changed for the better. Chad said that you two hadn't done anything besides kissed a few times, but he already felt closer to you than he had to any of his other girlfriends... or any of his _friends_, for that matter. He said to me that he was so thankful to you, for everything you'd done for him, for being there for him in more ways than one. I mean, I was still trying to get over the shock that he was saying nice things about _anybody_, but when he started talking about you like that... I knew that it had to be real. Because Chad hates looking all lovey-dovey or sweet or good or... anything for that matter! So I knew that he wouldn't let it come out of his mouth if he didn't mean it."

Sonny was speechless. She couldn't think straight. Her brain was still trying to process everything it'd just heard. Had he really said all of that? Butterflies overtook her stomach and her cheeks were a deep crimson. She needed to see Chad—and soon.

"Wow," was all that Sonny could say. She honestly didn't know any other words that expressed how she was feeling inside.

"So, after that _long dialogue_," she teased, "in all... I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Sonny smiled largely. She hadn't been this happy in days. The ice cream in her lap suddenly seemed less... _vital_ to her meals all day, which had been: ice cream, ice cream, and more ice cream. "God, I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you so much, too!"

"Movie night at my place?"

"I think yes," Rachel laughed.

* * *

"I've got the popcorn," Sonny announced happily, skipping into her bedroom, Rachel sprawled across her bed.

"Thank you!" Rachel exclaimed. "It's about time! We can't have a movie night without popcorn... it's just unrealistic."

"Of course."

"So, what are we gonna watch?"

Sonny suddenly whirled to face Rachel, standing in front of her TV. She had an evil and mischievous smirk on her face, her hands hidden behind her back. "Oh, nothing much..."

"_Sonny_... what are we watching?" Rachel asked carefully.

Sonny laughed evilly as she pulled the DVD out from behind her back. "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY ONE AND TWO!"

Rachel quickly started shaking her head, so fast that she looked like a bobble-head having a seizure. "N-O. No!"

"C'mon, you chicken!" Sonny sniggered. "They aren't _that_ scary." Rachel was still shaking her head back and forth like Sonny was asking her to mug a store. "Rachel, look at me," she rolled her eyes exasperatedly. Her best friend gave her a peeved glance. "You know how 'innocent' and 'sweet' I am! If _I_ can watch this movie, than you can, too!"

"Have you even seen them before?" she demanded of her.

"Well... no," Sonny admitted feebly, "but what does that matter? My friends back in Wisconsin saw them and said they weren't that bad!"

Rachel groaned. "_Fine_. But if I have nightmares for the next month, it's on your head."

"I think I'll live." Sonny placed her hand over her heart in faux worry.

* * *

Rachel and Sonny held onto each other for dear life, their eyes as wide as dinner plates and unable to look away from the television screen. The room was lightless besides the blue light coming from the TV. It flickered, giving objects in the room odd shadows.

"NO! NO! DON'T TURN AROUND!" Rachel cried. She pointed her finger under the blanket her and Sonny were huddled underneath. "The footprints are in the powder! IT'S IN THE ROOM WITH YOU!"

"Oh my God, I can't watch!" Sonny screamed shrilly. The wall banged in the movie, and both of the girls screamed.

"What is her boyfriend thinking? DON'T TEASE IT! You're gonna die!"

"He's gonna die, oh my! He's gonna die," Sonny squeaked from underneath the cover.

"That's what he gets for using a Ouija Board!" Rachel shook her head.

_**30 MINUTES LATER**_

The credits began to roll for Paranormal Activity, and Rachel and Sonny just exchanged glances, unsure if they wanted to move from this safe position. The room was dark. Neither of them wanted to be the one to get up. Sonny grabbed the remote, but because of the dark, she accidentally hit the power button for the television instead of the stop button. The room went pitch black.

"AAAAHHHH!"

The light flicked on, and there stood Sonny, chest heaving up and down. She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. Okay, let's watch the second one."

"WHAT? Are you crazy? I thought you were as freaked out as me!"

"I was! Wasn't it awesome?"

"Say _what_?"

Sonny turned out the lights again and began to place the disc for the sequel in the DVD player, but a sound startled her and made her freeze. "Very funny, Rachel," she giggled uneasily, turning to smile at her friend. Rachel was frozen, too, a horrified and confused look on her freckled face.

"That... wasn't me," she squeaked, almost so quiet that Sonny couldn't hear. Sonny just laughed.

"_Sure_ it wasn't."

"Sonny, I swear on my mother's grave that that was _not_ me."

"If you're kidding, please tell me now. Because I'm gonna start freaking out if you don't," Sonny whispered. The room was deadly quiet.

BAM!

They both screamed, their heads snapping to the window. That was where the sound was coming from. They both looked back at one another, shaking.

"It's the demon!" screamed Rachel. Sonny ran and launched herself onto the bed to get under the cover with her. "I _knew_ watching that movie was a bad idea! I _told you_! That's how it gets people! If you watch the movie, it comes to your house through the television!"

"I'm sorry!" Sonny yelled. "I thought it'd be fun!"

They heard a faint voice.

"Holy crap, what was that?" Rachel muttered into Sonny's ear, pulling the blanket over her face, covering all except her eyes. "It sounded like a voice!"

"_Sonny_..."

Sonny winced, eyes shut tight. "Oh crap crap crap _crap_!"

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Sonny!" the voice said again.

"Oh shit, it wants you!" she cried.

"Wait," Sonny said, not fazed, sitting up straighter and dropping the blanket. "That's not a demon! That's..."

"Sonny!" it called again. "You there?"

"_Chad_!" Sonny yelled happily, unlatching her window and lifting it up. "Oh my gosh, you scared us! We thought you were a demon!"

Chad's face screwed up into a clueless expression. "...What?"

"Nothing," Sonny shrugged it off, just happy that he was here. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled sheepishly, looking up at her like he hadn't seen her in a year. "I figure that two weeks is long enough of a break, don't you? I'm sure you're sick of ice cream by now, right?"

Sonny flushed. "How'd you know I—?"

"Not that hard to guess," he winked. He glanced around a little awkwardly. "Um... you mind if I come up?"

"Not at all," she couldn't say quick enough, running downstairs as fast as she could, leaving a confused blanket-covered Rachel on her bed. Sonny turned the gold knob and attached herself to Chad the second she saw him with a giant hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air, holding her tight. They hadn't really seen each other in two weeks. They were going to hug as long as they pleased. Sonny pulled away and pecked him on the lips quickly. She took his hand and lead him upstairs.

"Missed you, Munroe," Chad smiled, squeezing her hand.

"Missed you just _a little_, Cooper," she rolled her eyes. As they came into Sonny's room, Chad instantly spotted the empty ice cream tub beside her bed.

"Just 'a little'?" he asked skeptically, brows raised. "Because..." he picked up the tub, turning it in his hands until the label faced her, "Baskin and Robin tell me differently."

Sonny laughed. She turned to Rachel who was on the bed, still looking like she just had a heart attack. "You don't mind if Chad hangs around for a little while, do you?" She turned to her blonde boyfriend. "It's our movie night."

Chad looked back and forth between them, smiling. "So, I'm guessing the call worked out?"

Rachel grinned, still a ghostly white. "Sure did."

Chad looked her over. "What's up with you?"

"You scared us shitless!" Rachel shook. "We just got done watching Paranormal Activity, and then we start hearing things bang the window!"

"You didn't see the rocks?" Chad asked Sonny, eyebrows raised in amusement.

"It was dark!" she cried defensively. "We scare just a _little_ more easily than you do, Chad."

"Well," he scoffed, adjusting his jacket, "I'm unscarable."

Sonny knew for a _fact_ that wasn't true. He looked pretty scared during The Incident. But she kept that to herself. That would be inappropriate to say out loud. Rachel didn't need to know about that night, anyway. Then she'd be able to say 'I told you so' about _something_.

As the night drew on, they watched the second Paranormal Activity, Chad in a chair beside the bed, holding Sonny's hand, with Sonny and Rachel lying on the bed, gasping or going 'oh my gosh...' every five seconds. The biker had to admit, the movie was a little freaky, but he didn't see why they were freaking out so much. It wasn't _that_ bad.

* * *

Rachel was the first to fall asleep, crashing an hour after the sequel was over. Sonny and Chad were talking about their favorite scary movies, then Chad noticed Rachel was out. He smiled innocently at Sonny.

"Rachel's asleep," he said nonchalantly, playing with his fingernail coyly. After a moment, he glanced up at her from under is lashes.

"Aw, is she really?" she giggled nervously, turning around and looking at her best friend's sleeping figure. "Aw! That's so sweet!"

"Okay?" he rose an eyebrow. "So... Sonny, I haven't seen you in two weeks, and all I got was a hug."

She rolled her eyes, cheeks pink. "I gave you a kiss."

"It must have been such a pitiful one that I forgot about it," he mumbled. He gave her a look that he hadn't given her a quite a long time.

_Oh God_... she thought, pouting on the inside. _He's trying to seduce me..._

"Is my mere _presence_ not enough?" she joked, smiling. The blonde shook his head.

"You're about half way there."

"Fine!" she groaned, leaning towards him. He stopped her with his hand.

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa_," he clicked his tongue, "what is _that_ I hear? _Attitude_?"

"Oh, shut up," the brunette laughed, capturing his lips in hers. It wasn't long before she was sitting in his lap in the only-made-for-one-person chair, head on his shoulder, holding his hand. He was telling her a story about how on his seventh birthday, he had managed to trip, twist his ankle, and fall into his fudge cake all within a ten second time frame. She giggled and told him about on her third birthday, her mom had ordered a clown for her party, but the company had gotten the addresses mixed up with a college kids' house party down the street, and two strippers had shown up at her party instead. Ms. Munroe had to rush all of the kids inside with hands over their eyes saying, 'Don't look! Don't look!'

Chad couldn't stop laughing at that one.

"Pretty sure that's the best thing I've ever heard," he chuckled. He launched into a story about how Rage brought a stripper to the bonfire one night, and how she'd given him advice on Sonny. But just as he was getting to the Sonny part, he heard a soft snore. She was sound asleep on him, mouth slightly agape. "Pretty sure that's the best thing I've ever seen," he muttered to himself, grinning boyishly.

Chad lifted her slowly, careful not to disturb her sleep. He placed something for later on the window sill. He put her on the bed beside Rachel, gave her one last look, and left the house. Rachel cracked open one eye, glancing back and forth between Sonny and where Chad had exited. She smiled to herself and then _actually_ went to sleep.


	34. Confessions

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Oh, gosh, guys. Can you believe that this story is almost over? Gosh... I just can't believe it. Writing it has been so much fun, and I appreciate all of the support I've gotten with this. You guys have no idea how much it means to me.**

**Now... um... I think I want to write another Channy multi-chap or two. But I'm a little worried it won't get readers. I'm about 90% sure that I'm going to do another channy story... but I'm hesitant. SWAC is over (tear) and because of that, many of the Channy fans are losing interest and they stop reading, stop writing, and stop reviewing all together. I'm sure that my fellow Channy authors who still write understand what I'm talking about. But, I still love the couple. Sure, I'm not as obsessed as I once was, but I'm not just going to dump them because the show is over (we THINK it's over). If you are still a Channy enthusiast, and you'd still read another story, please let me know. It will determine whether or not I do the story.**

**A lot like this story, it will be different than what you're used to. I've switched roles. SONNY is the spoiled one, CHAD is the Southern gentleman (a very BUFF Southern gentleman, I may add [winky face]). Not only is Chad a buff gentleman, but he hunts alligators. Can you say HAWT?**

**Tell me in your reviews if you're interested in this idea at all. Thanks! Love you guys!**

* * *

**Chapter 33: Confessions**

Sonny yawned, sprawled sideways across her mattress. The sheets were entangled around both her and Rachel, both of their hair sticking in every direction. Her eyes opened slowly, greeting the sunny light pouring in from her window. In an instant, memories of the night before came flooding back to her. She hastily sat up straight, head snapping in every direction. It soon became apparent that Chad had left when both of them were asleep, and she sighed in relief. What would her mother say if she awoke to find Sonny's boyfriend in the room with them? Her and Chad would never be allowed to see each other again, that's what.

Sonny's sudden movements woke Rachel, making her groan as she stretched. She sat up as well, rubbing her eyes with the back of her fists. She asked, in a sleepy and cracking voice,

"What's wrong, Sonny?"

Sonny shook her head, getting the crust out of her eyes. "It's... nothing. Chad left."

"Oh. Good. Ha ha, imagine if your mom came in and he was in here? She'd have his head for it."

"Yeah, I know, right?" she yawned, stretching as well. As if in slow motion, she untangled herself from the covers and trudged to her closet, putting on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She disinterestedly ran a brush through her tangled hair. She turned to Rachel when she was finished. Sonny almost jumped in surprise. Her best friend was sitting there, eyes wide awake, watching Sonny as if the Wisconsinite was trying to hide something from her. "What?" she demanded, heart thumping wildly.

"So... what's... _up_ with you and Chaddy-bear?" Rachel questioned lightly, playing with her fingernails. Sonny really didn't understand what she was getting at.

"What?"

"Don't look at me like that," she shook her head, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "You know what I mean. How... _far along_ are you and Biker Boy?"

"_Excuse_ me?" Sonny coughed, almost feeling angry at how red her face must be right now.

"Just... watching you two last night... I could tell," Rachel said nonchalantly, almost smiling. "You guys really like each other. And, the way he looks at you and talks about you... you two haven't... ya know...?"

"No!" Sonny exclaimed shrilly, cheeks and ears pink. Her face felt so hot it was exhausting. "Are you—are you serious? Of course not! I—I... no!"

"Relax! Relax! It was just a question," Rachel held her hands up defensively. She looked at the ground for a second before looking up to her best friend to continue. "But, you want to."

Sonny's mouth was agape. She was speechless, stuttering. "I—uh, _what_... how could you even...? We haven't been dating _that_ long, Rachel! I have self-respect, so I'm not just going to... to...! It's not... I shouldn't—"

"Can you hear yourself?" she interrogated her. "You just said, 'you _shouldn't _want to'. Not that you _don't_ want to."

"Oh, _whatever_!" Sonny threw her hands in the air hysterically. "What does it matter what I say? I've only known him for a couple of months. It's _way_ too early to even be considering stuff like that!"

"But you are."

"No I'm—what are you trying to say?"

"Just what you're thinking." Her tone was so nonchalant for such a hectic moment that Sonny almost couldn't comprehend it. "Do you love him?"

Sonny honestly was completely silent. She didn't know what to say to that. She herself hadn't said the three fateful words to Chad, so why would she confide them in Rachel now? How did she know that it wasn't just a teenage fling that would last a while and then be over? How did she know that what she felt when he was around wasn't just a toxic combination of overactive hormones and a really big crush? How would she know that she was 'in love' and not just 'in like'?

_How_ did she know if he felt the same way?

That's the last thing any person—not just a teenage girl—would want in a relationship. To say that you love that person to their face, then have them not return the feelings. Or at least not yet. Even if he needed more time, it was humiliating to tell someone that you loved them, and then for them to reply, 'it's too early for me to know if I feel that way'. Plus, it'd give him an unfair advantage. Something to hold over her if the situation ever arose itself. But Chad wouldn't do that... would he?

"If you're not answering, that tells me all that I need to know," Rachel said, nodding, as if she were a doctor diagnosing a sick patient. "If you didn't love him, or if you didn't love him _yet_, you wouldn't really have any problem with saying no."

Sonny's accusing, yet confused eyes, swept from the floor where they had been staring to her best friend. "How do you know that? _I _don't even know—"

"Because," she cut her off simply, "it's obvious by seeing the way you two act around each other. The way you feel about him—and the way he feels about you." Sonny shook her head and her brown eyes returned to the ground, but she didn't deny anything, which was another signal to Rachel of her feelings. "I think you love him."

"I—I don't know!"

"You're just saying that because you're scared of what people will think!" her best friend cried. "You're scared of what your mom will think! You're scared of what _Chad_ will think. But most of all... it looks like you're scared of what _you_, yourself thinks." Sonny's questioning eyes met Rachel's. "By that, _I mean_, you have this set time frame that you think is appropriate for teenagers in a relationship to know that they love each other... and you're _way_ early. So you're questioning yourself. You think just because you two haven't known each other for at least half a year, you think that your feelings _can't _be legit! You grew up with the ideal of if teens told each other they loved each other before at least half a year, it was just lust or one wanted to get into the other's pants. Come on, you're a goody-goody, Sonny. Am I right?"

She was struck speechless yet again. How was it that Rachel seemed to have a clear view into the deepest parts of her thoughts?

"I—"

"But you _do_ love him, don't you? You're just mad at yourself because it's not 'proper', in your standards, to love someone in a two-month long relationship."

Sonny didn't know how or why, but what came out of her mouth was, "How do I know if he loves me back?"

"Well... it's pretty obvious to everyone _but_ you," she shrugged. "You can tell that he adores you. Your mom knows, too."

"_My mom_?"

"We were talking about it last night. While you were fixing the popcorn. She was just shaking her head, smiling. She told me, 'I never thought I'd see it. The biker she was supposed to just 'be tutoring' is totally in love with her'. Then she got all mushy at the fact that her baby girl was _all grown up_," Rachel rolled her eyes, laughing. Sonny was just staring at her, as if she'd grown a second head. "It's true. _But_, my point is, those feelings of wanting to... ya know... with Chad are normal. You guys are in love. And that's the important thing."

"But—but," she stuttered, "_I've_ never... and he has... _a lot_..."

"Okay, take a seat," Rachel patted the bed space beside her. Sonny walked over to it, almost unseeingly. Everything was a blur. "Here's how I know what I know. He doesn't just want sex, Sonny. If that's all he wanted, when you two are in a room together, he'd be staring at your boobs instead of staring into your eyes. He would have made his move the second you guys started tutoring. He never tried to take advantage of you. Am I right?"

Sonny nodded slowly. "He's never really tried anything on me..."

"It's _Chad_. Motorcycle-riding, drug-doing, drinking, strip club-attending Chad. And he hasn't tried to invade you at all. What does that say to you?"

Sonny's brows furrowed. "Wait... he goes to strip clubs? _What_?"

Rachel shooed that comment away like it was a fly. "I'm sure he _used to_. But not anymore. I don't see that option in New Chad's mind. Don't you see my point here? He obviously loves you! And you love him back. Both of you are legally adults... there's nothing wrong with feeling those feelings toward him!"

"I don't know, Rachel... I think it may be too early in our relationship for... _that_."

"And it may be," she said. "That's why there's such a thing as self-control. But when you two are ready, you'll know it."

"I'll _know it_?"

"You'll feel it. It'll feel right."

Sonny smiled to herself, her hands twisting and intertwining in her lap. Suddenly, a thought came to her. "Wait, Rachel... how do you know so much about this stuff?"

She shrugged harmlessly. "I don't know... that just seems like the right thing to say. The right thing to feel."

Sonny hugged her best friend, smiling appreciatively. "Thank you _so_ much!"

"What are best friends for?" she asked, smiling back.

* * *

Rachel climbed into her mother's car, waving goodbye to Sonny as she looked down at her through her window. Sonny smiled brilliantly, thankfully, waving as well. Before she knew it, Rachel and the car were out of sight. Sonny's hand dropped down to the windowsill, thoughtfully. She just couldn't stop thinking about her and Rachel's seemingly life-changing conversation. But something jolted her from her thoughts.

She quickly lifted up her hand, feeling something underneath it. With a sharp gasp and a sigh of admiration, Sonny lifted the small object from the sill. She rolled her eyes, smiling all the while.

Sonny remembered:

**_Grumble_.**

_"God, I'm sorry, Sonny," he apologized again. "I'm hungry, too."_

_"For the last time, you couldn't help it," she smiled, holding his hand. But another sound that came from her stomach silenced her._

_"Let's see..." Chad said to himself, digging around in his leather jacket pockets, turning so Sonny couldn't see what he was doing. In the end, he held out two things to her. He held his head high and said in a snooty voice, "Well, Miss Munroe, I'm afraid all we have on the menu tonight is..." he held up one of the items, which was circular "...a refreshing pack of spear mint breath mints, and..." Chad held up a square pack "... icy mint Stride gum."_

_"Ooh, it's such a hard choice," she pretended to be torn, glancing back and forth between them. "I'm gonna go with the usual tonight and take the gum, I think."_

_They laughed as he handed her the pack and she took out a piece and chewed. The rumbling in her tummy ceased temporarily. Chad took a stick of it as well._

_"I think I may order this again," he told her, face completely serious, and opened the blue pack again. He took another piece. He popped it into his mouth and chewed awhile, then blew a huge bubble. Sonny poked it when it got to it's biggest and it exploded, blasted all over his chin and nose. She erupted into a fit of giggles. "Hey!" he cried through all of the gum, wiping it off of his face with his fingers. He turned to her after a moment, asking gravely, "Did I get all of it?"_

_"Not quite," Sonny giggled, reaching up to his face and wiping off some on the corner of his mouth. He watched her with appraising eyes as she did so, avoiding his gaze._

There, in her hand, was a single piece of Stride gum. The exact flavor it had been that night. With it was a small little note. Almost so small that she nearly missed it. She unfolded it until she could read every word Chad had written in his messy handwriting.

_**Hey, Munroe :]**_

_**I'm sick of this break. It's been two weeks. I think that's long enough, don't you? I'm kind of tired of not seeing your face. Here's some gum. Something for you to snack on besides ice cream ;) Think you could get your mom to drive you to Main Street downtown tonight? Meet me in front of Raymond's. It's a really great Italian place.**_

_**And don't even TRY to pay for your own food. I'm gonna give you the first date we never had.**_

Sonny giggled, reading it over and over again. Of course she would get her mother to drive her! Sonny would kill her if she didn't. She sighed. She _really_ needed her own car. Sonny quickly popped the gum into her mouth, smiling so much that she was sure she looked ridiculous. What would she wear? How should she fix her hair?

Why was she _now_ freaking out about this?

She supposed that since she'd admitted to herself how she felt about him, she was suddenly paranoid to look her best. Just to make sure that he felt the same way.

But how would the way she looked make a difference in his answer? It wouldn't.

But it made her feel better about herself. So... why not?

* * *

Chad met her with a huge smile, his eyes shining. Admittedly, she hadn't planned on dressing up this much... but she had. And apparently, she had an excuse now, because Chad was dressed nicely, too. The restaurant was a nice one. She decided that could be her cushion if he wondered why she was wearing a dress.

Chad's eyes gazed at her up and down, ecstatic. Her dress was a light blue, complimenting her skin tone. It was shining with a small white, button up sweater over her shoulders. Her hair was curled lightly, her make up natural but making her smile and eyes shine. She wore silver heels.

"You, uh... you look really nice," was all he could make himself say. He internally punched himself. He sounded so boyish! He was a man! He cleared his throat and tried to make his voice deeper, but not make it sound ridiculous. "I mean, um..." cough-cough "...you look awesome." _Awesome_? Where did that come from? Was that really the best thing that he could come up with?

Little did he know, Sonny was finding this completely adorable. And she was still trying to take in the fact that, for the first time since she'd met him, he _wasn't_ wearing the leather jacket. He was clad in khaki pants that looked brand new and a blue collared shirt, making his eyes even more blue. She blushed as she realized that she was staring too long... and that they matched. Can you say cheesy?

He smirked as she cleared her throat and looked down to the ground, cheeks a little pink. "Um, well, you look really nice, too. I see you ditched the leather."

He shrugged, still smiling smugly. "I figured that the jacket didn't really go with the pants. Just bought them today."

"They look really good," she grinned. "I like the preppy Chad."

"Preppy?" he repeated, scowling. Oh no, he looked like a total sissy!

"No! Not like that!" she said quickly. "I meant... like, clean!"

"So I'm dirty now?" he teased, watching her squirm. But Sonny didn't pick up on the joking tone.

"No! No! You're always clean! Very clean! Um..."

"Relax, Sonny, I'm joking," he laughed, putting an arm around her shoulders. She laughed uneasily as he led her into the restaurant. What was up with her tonight? She normally always had something to say around him. She told herself repeatedly to calm down as they were led to their table. It was nice, clean, with a white tablecloth and intricate silverware settings.

As they sat down to eat, Sonny fiddled with her hands awkwardly. What should she say? Why was her mind blank? Why did it have to go blank _now_, of all moments?

"I'm serious, though," Chad suddenly said, smiling softly, "you do look really nice." She giggled uncomfortably, flattered. The candle light at their table cast a very attractive shadow on Chad's face. Groan. _That_ definitely didn't make things any easier. He smirked that signature smirk of his... which was hot and made things worse... and spoke. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah! Yeah, I'm cool." Her blush graced her cheeks yet again. Chad noticed her odd amount of flushing and blushing lately. She always did it around him, but tonight it was more than usual. What was up?

"So, didn't have any nightmares last night, did you?"

"Ha ha, no. Why?"

"Those movies seemed to scar you and Rachel for life," he joked.

"Naw," she shooed. "We're fine. Or at least I am." She grinned. "I appreciate your little present for me on my windowsill. That was really sweet."

"Well," he popped his collar, smirking, "that's me." Sonny laughed.

"Hello, sir, miss," a man came up to the table, grinning. He looked as if he was in college. His brushed his brown hair out of his eyes as he saw Sonny. "May I get you two anything?"

"I'll just have a coke," Chad said nonchalantly, sitting back in his chair. The waiter nodded and turned to Sonny, his smile just a _little_ bigger.

"And for you, miss?"

"Um... I think I'll just have a water," she nodded, smiling politely.

"So, is this your first time here?" he asked her.

"Yeah, it is. It's really nice," she grinned.

"Awesome," he grinned. Chad suddenly looked up from his phone that he had pulled out while Sonny ordered, aware. There was no way. It couldn't be. "I'm glad you like it, Miss...?"

"Uh, Sonny," she said quickly, trying to be polite, but she really just wished she could get her drink.

Chad cleared his throat loudly, sitting up straighter in his chair and eying the waiter. The man turned around with his brows raised innocently.

"Yes, sir?" he asked. "Are you ready to order?"

"Not quite," Chad replied, a little icily. "I'd just like my drink as soon as possible. I'm _really_ thirsty." He narrowed his eyes. The waiter took the hint and rushed off to the kitchen. Chad sighed and sat back in his chair, watching Sonny as if she was a gold necklace in a room full of burglars. His possessive stare made her a little uncomfortable.

"What was that?" she tried to ask lightly.

He shook his head, holding back the angry thoughts that wanted to flood from his mouth like a river. "Could you not tell?"

"Tell what?"

Chad ran his hand through his hair, laughing disbelievingly. "He was all over you!"

Sonny's brows pulled together and a few seconds passed before she said anything. "Really?" She almost sounded thoughtful... _flattered_, even. That struck a sour chord with Chad.

"Yes, _really_," he replied, scowling. "God, you really _are_ bad at telling when guys are interested."

Sonny sat back in her chair a little more, brows knitted. "Well," she said a little indifferently, "he was cute."

Unfortunately, Chad didn't catch the sarcasm. "Huh?" It was a ticked off tone.

Sonny looked offended that he didn't pick up that she didn't mean it. Did he not know that she loved him? Of course he didn't! She didn't tell him yet! Ugh, this seriously sucked.

"I'm kidding!" she said a little sharply. "I mean, he _was_, but I'm not interested. You didn't take me seriously, did you?"

He was a little embarrassed. "You were smiling back, so..."

"I was not!" she exclaimed defensively.

"Okay," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Sonny opened her mouth to retort, but back came the waiter with their drinks. He sat Chad's coke and Sonny's water down in front of them.

"Are you two ready to order?" he asked a little oddly, instantly sensing the tense atmosphere. Chad's face was enough to make him want to go ask another waiter to take their table.

"Yes," Chad said suddenly, a sickeningly sweet tone to his voice. "I'll have a nice, big plate of your finest spaghetti with a side of stay away from my girlfriend!"

"Chad!" Sonny cried incredulously. The waiter looked shaken, eyes wide. Sonny turned to him, looking terribly apologetic. "I am _so sorry_. I don't _what's_ gotten into him."

"Don't apologize for me!" he demanded to her. His angry eyes zoned in on their waiter. "You were making eyes at my girl, weren't you?"

"I—I—"

"Don't apologize," Sonny told him. "You didn't do anything wrong." She glared at Chad in a 'stop-talking-this-instant' way.

"Sir, I didn't intend to start up anything," the boy said quickly, glancing around to make sure his manager wasn't within earshot. "I'm sorry. You—you can just not give me a tip!"

"You think a _tip_ is anything compared to my girlfriend?"

"Of course not—"

"Chad, _stop talking_," Sonny told him in the most poisonous tone she could muster. He glanced back and forth between the two of them, then finally sat back in his chair in defeat, arms crossed with eyes cast on the ground. "I am SO sorry. I'll uh... I'll just have the gourmet chicken pizza." He nodded quickly and wrote it down, rushing away to the kitchen. "I'm sorry!" she cried after him. It was only a few second before she rounded on Chad. "_What_ is _wrong_ with you?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," he shrugged.

"Why did you have to make a scene like that?" she demanded, keeping her voice low but angry. "That... that was _so embarrassing_!"

"What am I supposed to do, Sonny?" he almost yelled, but quieted down when he received looks from some people next to them. "When other guys hit on you am I just supposed to sit here and watch?"

"No! But you don't have to act like you're about to go outside and beat him up!"

"Well, I'm sorry that I care about you!" he exclaimed furiously. "I'll try not to next time!"

Sonny hid how much that hurt. "I'm not asking you not to care about me," she said slowly, running a hand through her wavy hair, trying to stay calm, "but you can't do that, Chad! Not in public, anyway. You were overreacting and it was humiliating!"

Chad just shook his head and held his tongue, pretending to be doing something on his phone so he wouldn't say something to her that he would regret later. He still had a temper problem. _Especially_ when someone tried to make a move on his girl—and what made it worse was the fact that he had been _right there_ when it happened. Could the waiter not see him? Was he suddenly invisible? The thought made him shake with fury. That waiter could just go screw himself.

They were silent for the next ten minutes as they waited on their food, not saying anything to the other. Not even looking at each other. Just sitting there. Sonny was staring at her lap sadly, angry and upset all at once. She wished Chad didn't have such a temper on him. Not to mention that this first date was now worse than their _actual_ first one.

A woman came out and sat down the plates in front of them, Sonny instantly upon hers for an excuse for something to do. She couldn't talk if she was eating, which would justify her silence somewhat. Chad just stuck a fork into his large meatball on the top of his spaghetti, pretending it was the waiter's head. And the dude didn't even have the balls to bring out their food to them. What did that tell you?

That he was a chicken shit, that's what.

Both of them were about halfway through with their meal before one of them spoke. Of course, it was Sonny. She was always the first to forgive and forget.

"So... um, how is your food?" she asked quietly, glancing up at him for only a second before her gaze returned to her delicious pizza.

He sighed, deciding to answer. They couldn't go on like this all night. "It's pretty good." It was about five seconds before he continued. "Yours?"

"...Yummy," she smiled smally after taking a bite of her pizza, some tomato sauce on her mouth. Chad couldn't help but smile a little at that.

"Good. Glad you like it," he said softly, not glancing up from his food.

More silence.

Sonny took a deep breath, barely able to believe that she was about to do this. She had nothing to apologize for, but she knew Chad. He wouldn't say anything until she did. "Hey, um... I'm sorry."

Chad finally looked up at her. "Yeah... yeah, me too. Sorry."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you," she sighed. "I'm... not really a yeller."

"Yeah," he laughed to himself. "That was weird, seeing you mad." He took a deep breath. "I _did_ overreact. My bad, Munroe."

_Ugh. Curse his cuteness!_ Sonny thought in defeat, unable to say no to that expression on his face.

"It's okay," she smiled. "Hey, do you wanna try a piece of my pizza?"

He shrugged. "Sure." He took a piece and took a bite, grinning. "Wow, that's awesome. You want to try some of mine?"

"Why not?" Sonny grinned that 1,000 watt smile, handing him her fork. He wrapped some of his spaghetti on it and reached across the table, holding it out to her. She leaned forward to take a bite, but just as her mouth was closing in on it, he moved the fork upwards. The food collided with her nose and red sauce was all over her nose as a result. Chad laughed, but stopped himself when she glared. She wiped her nose off with her napkin. "Thanks for that."

"Anytime," he grinned. He held out the fork for her again. "Okay, seriously this time. Come on, it's really good."

She gave him a look saying that she was being cautious this time, but he didn't pull anything. Her mouth closed around the food and he slid the fork from her mouth. After chewing thoughtfully, she nodded in approval.

"Wow, that _is_ really good," she grinned. "I'll have to get that next time."

"So, there _will_ be a next time?" he asked, eyes hopeful. Sonny sighed and shook her head, smiling comfortingly.

"Of course," she said obviously. "Why wouldn't there be?"

He shrugged, not making eye contact with her. "I'll behave next time."

"It's fine," she laughed. "Come on, it's water under the bridge. Let's forget about it, okay?"

He looked at her, appreciative. For the first time, Sonny seemed to catch the glint in his eye that Rachel, and apparently everyone else, talked about. She blushed under this stare, more reassured now than ever that letting him now how she felt wasn't a mistake, after all.

* * *

Chad's bike rumbled to a slower pace as he began the turn to pull into the Munroe's long driveway. But Sonny's whisper in his ear stopped him.

"Stop the bike," she breathed, surprising him a little bit. He wanted to ask why, but did as she instructed on the side of the road in front of the gravel. As he cut off the motorcycle, he was about to ask Sonny what was up, but she had climbed off already. He followed her action.

"What's wrong?" he asked, walking up to her with hands in pockets.

"Nothing," she smiled. "Nothing at all."

His eyes looked around in confusion, eyebrows pulling together. "...Okay? Then, why did you ask me to pull over?"

Sonny took a deep breath and closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. She slowly walked towards him and grabbed his wrists out of his pockets, intertwining her hands with his. "I, um, I just wanted to tell you something. But not by my house. My mom would probably be watching..."

This caught his attention. What could she be wanting to tell him that she didn't want for her mom to hear?

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Uh..." she began hesitantly. "I don't really know how to say this... but, um... these past few months have been really great—"

"Are you breaking up with me?" Chad interrupted, a look of complete incredulousness on his face.

"No! No no no!" she reassured him quickly. She mumbled the next part. "Quite the opposite... actually..." She took a deep breath, not sure of what to say. "These past months have been great. And I've had so much fun with you. We've been through some bad stuff..." she trailed off, thinking of the night of The Incident, "but it's all been worth it. And in the end, I think it just made things stronger. That stupid break that I thought would help was just... well... _stupid_, and I missed having you around. I was so happy when you came by last night. And, um, me and Rachel were talking this morning. And she made me realize something." Chad was still watching her as if he had no clue what was going on. "And... I guess what I just wanted to get out in the open was, um... I _really, really_ like you. Well... _more_ than like you actually. Oh, God, I'm not making any sense," she shook her head, laughing in the way she always did when she was nervous.

"Sonny." Just the way he said it made her shut up instantly. Their eyes met. "You're really not." He smiled and they laughed.

"What—what I mean is..." she sighed. "I, um... I love you, Chad."

The smile faded from his face. His eyes grew wider. Sonny's smile faded as well. Why wasn't he smiling? _Why wasn't he smiling_?

"What?" he asked, as if he hadn't of heard her.

Sonny repeated herself, her heart starting to sink. "I said that... I love you." He still didn't smile. Chad was just staring at the ground, mouth halfway open as if he was trying to decide what to say. Every moment that silence passed was a moment that Sonny's heart sank more. He released her hands. Sonny's throat ached with humiliation.

But suddenly, he looked up, all smiles, laughing. Sonny did a double-take, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to escape. Did he think that this was _funny_? Was he really that cruel?

"I'm kidding!" he exclaimed, laughing still. Sonny just stared at him like he was the sickest person in the world, not a trace of humor on her face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around, laughing, trying to get her to laugh. "Come on, Munroe! Lighten up! I was kidding!" He sat her back down to judge her reaction, but it was stolid. Suddenly, he went from laughing to trying to save his neck. "It—it was a joke! I didn't mean it, Sonny. Come on!" She glared. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, Sonny. Come on, laugh! It was a joke. It was stupid, I'm sorry. Come on."

Ignoring the soaring her heart did at his words, she still didn't show it. She was as mad as hell. Could he _be_ any more immature?

"You... you... jerk!"

"I'm a jerk, but you love me," he smiled comically, brows raised.

"I might just take that back."

"I was kidding! I love you, Sonny," he laughed uncomfortably, holding her so close that she almost had to stand on his feet. His forehead touched hers, looking into her eyes from under his lashes. "I'm sorry." His voice became silky, the way it always did when he wanted something. "I love you." Sonny's face still didn't waver, even though it felt like her insides were filled with melting butterflies. He began to kiss her, and Sonny quickly realized that she wasn't _that_ strong. She soon was kissing back enthusiastically, arms wrapped around his neck.

He knew he was forgiven.

Chad pulled away, needing to catch his breath. But all it took was one more look into the other's eyes and they were back at it, quite glad that Sonny had chosen to break the news to him here instead of in front of her door, where her mother would have had a full view. His lips were gentle, yet somehow still full of want. Chad was beginning to smirk at the fact that the more it seemed they kissed, the less innocent her lips became.

He could still remember when they had kissed for the first time in the tree house, and it was obvious that she didn't have much experience in the kissing arena. That didn't mean that it wasn't great, but her lack of experience was obvious. Every time since then, she seemed to hold back less and was more eager. He had to say... he couldn't deny that he loved it. It was starting to become a drug.

Sonny pulled away this time, turning red from the lack of oxygen and the soaring of her heart beat. Predictably, it was only a few seconds before they were attached again. Sonny started to feel a familiar feeling that she'd experienced only once before: at the lockers.

Who could forget that day?

As much as her body, heart, and everything else screamed in frustration when she pulled away, her conscious was clear. She was starting to think of him in _that_ way again... _a lot_... which told her that things were getting a little too... _far_. Chad's eyes searched hers questioningly. What could possibly be wrong? He felt better than he'd ever felt kissing a girl, like he was flying with his heart pounding in his ears.

But, all it took was one look in her eyes, and he saw it. The look he'd seen in every girl that he'd ever... well... been dating. And in some cases, not even that. They'd kiss a little too roughly, for a little too long, and there it was. That infatuated, excited _flash_. He didn't know what else to call it. Usually, he felt ecstatic when he saw it. That usually meant good things for him. But when he saw it in Sonny, an odd battle of emotions was raging.

One side of him was happy and excited beyond belief. It just seemed to justify that she felt what he felt for her. But then, he remembered the promise that he made her: he'd never make her do anything that she wasn't ready to do. And if she pulled away, that meant that she wasn't ready to do it, and she was stopping herself before all reason left her mind and desire took over.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with a pink, flushed face, running her hand through her hair and avoiding his eyes. All it would take was one look... and she'd be gone out of her right mind and driven mad with want.

Chad took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from going overboard as well. "No, it's my fault," he was nearly panting, shaking his head.

"We should probably go," Sonny suggested, trying to take control of the situation before she changed her mind. He nodded in agreement, and they both climbed onto his bike and took off down the driveway, Sonny careful to keep her hands around his midsection instead of waist.

_Well_, Sonny thought, _that went well_. _Kind of_.

Minus the... ya know... and it did go very well!

* * *

Sonny went to sleep that night smiling a lovesick grin. Chad had shaken hands with her mother and then given Sonny a polite, innocent peck on the lips, smiling as he backed out of the door.

_I'm in love_, Sonny thought, smiling just thinking about it. _So sue me_.


	35. Epilogue

**Summary: A ChAnNyObSeSsEd and alexatheknight collab. Sonny moves to Cali, but she soon learns she HAS to adjust. She signs up to help tutor, but when she gets paired with a potentially dangerous biker, her life turns chaotic and dangerous.**

**A/N: Oh my gosh. This is crazy. It's the final chapter for this story. I just can't believe it. And yes, I'm going to be doing the next story :) I'm not sure when I'll post the first chapter, but I will when I can :) School started for me three weeks ago. Ugh! I'm starting at a new school, and it's gone pretty well so far. All of the support for this story has meant so much. I really hope you all will transition your interest to my next story.**

* * *

**Epilogue**

Sonny stared out of her new kitchen window, almost disbelievingly. The small but beautiful yard in front of her was _hers_. It was _her_ yard. Not her mother's, not her _and_ her mother's, but _hers_. And the fact that she would be spending the rest of her college days in this new little house made her even happier. Sonny didn't have to stay in some small, cramped dorm room with a room mate. Her mother had surprised her with some saved money for a graduation present, enough for a college house. Well, that, and a car.

The car wasn't much. It was a '98 Toyota Camry, but she loved it. It was comfortable, easy to drive, and the air conditioning worked well enough to be a makeshift meat locker. Sure, it might not be as new or as shiny as some of her classmates', but it was enough for her. That was all that mattered.

Her home was nice. Everything a new college freshman could want. It had a open kitchen/living room, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. It was large enough to house company, but not so small that she felt claustrophobic. The furniture was comfortable and clean, filled with warm colors that reflected her personality. A nice, dark hardwood floor was under her feet, feeling stable and welcoming to it's new owner.

The University of California was nice place, too. The scenery and weather was absolutely beautiful. Classes were informative and challenging, just the way she liked it. She was only one short hour away from her mother, if Ms. Munroe ever needed her. Did she regret not going to The University of Wisconsin? Yes, in some ways, she thought of what it'd be like to be a student on that oh-so-familiar campus. She deliberated if it'd be the right decision if she ever did transfer. But she didn't want to be such a long plane ride from her mother if she ever needed her. It wasn't like Ms. Munroe was like other parents and had a husband to come home to every day. She'd be alone. And if she ever needed help with anything or was in trouble, Sonny wanted to be there.

But the main thing tying her down to California?

A certain blonde-haired biker that she just couldn't live without.

He would drive by to see her every other day, and they would always call each other and text constantly. Rachel often rolled her eyes and went in another room whenever he called, not wanting to be around for what she called the 'yuck-fest'. Oh! And yes, Rachel did live with her. The yard and the house was still _hers_, since she paid for a lot of it and all, but Rachel helped out with rent. They both got jobs to cover living expenses. Rachel ran a local car wash on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Sonny was an _Applebees_ waitress that worked night shifts on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. With the tips, she had to admit, it paid well.

She watched anxiously as a familiar black Harley Davidson noisily pulled up into the house's small driveway. Her boyfriend, who she hadn't seen in a couple days, climbed off with a content swagger, signature leather jacket on, and a pair of shining black Aviators. Putting his secretly sweet personality and his caring, protective nature aside, Sonny couldn't help but think... _God, _her boyfriend was _hawt_.

He barely had time to knock on her door before she swung it open, brilliant smile on her face. Chad matched it as he pulled her into a hug.

As she pulled away, she grinned again. "So, how did your first big college test go?"

He threw his keys onto a nearby table, plopping down on the cushy white couch. "I didn't look at my grade yet."

"What? Why not?" Sonny asked, taking a seat beside him.

"I don't know," he said thoughtfully, pulling away his sunglasses and hooking them on the neck of his shirt. "I guess... I don't know, that I'm scared I bombed it."

"There's no way you bombed it," Sonny shook her head firmly. "You came over and I helped you study! You _knew_ it backwards and forwards."

"I know... but, the college doesn't have great expectations for me," Chad said. "My high school grades sucked until Senior year, and that was because of you. I'm lucky I got the score I did on the SAT. The class isn't exactly for geniuses, and even then, I don't... know."

"Well, _I'm _sure you nailed it," she smiled. "Next time you have class, check out your grade. Even if, for whatever reason, you didn't do so hot, it's just _one_ test. You'll have plenty more."

He grinned at her thankfully. "College is so different. It's... _harder_. Even the classes for the slackers are hard."

She shrugged. "You go to college to train for a job. No one spoon-feeds you."

"Wish we had some classes together," he said bitterly. "I don't have anyone to whisper answers to me anymore."

Sonny hit his arm and laughed. "I never gave you answers. I just explained to you what the teacher said."

"And then I knew the answer."

"Yeah. That _your _brain came up with."

"But these college dudes go so much _faster_. And they don't tell you what exactly will be on your test. They just expect you to already know what the test will cover."

"That's why you take notes."

"I tried! But they talk so freaking fast."

"Do you abbreviate?"

"No...?"

"Start abbreviating. It'll help you get more of what they're saying down."

"You'll have to show me how," he smirked, leaning in closer to her. She welcomed the hint enthusiastically, capturing his lips in her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around Sonny's waist.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!" came a sudden voice, making both of them jump and pull apart. Rachel stood behind them, hands covering her eyes. "Sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt anything! Sonny, I was just going to tell you that I'm going to the store after class, so I'll be back a little later than usual. But, uh, I can see you're a little _preoccupied_."

Sonny flushed a little, but Chad just smirked. "Alright," Sonny nodded. "Hey, would you mind getting some of that _Nutella_ stuff while you're there?"

"Yeah, sure," she called from the door, opening it and about to close it behind her. "Catch you guys later. Behave," she snorted.

The door closed and it wasn't long before a blushing Sonny was blushing even harder when he began kissing her again. He was confused when she pulled away, looking a little panicked.

"I actually wanted you to come here today for a reason," she said quickly, tucking her hair behind her ear self-consciously. Chad just watched her, not sure of what to think. That could mean many things. "I have a surprise for you." She couldn't hide the 100 watt smile that was starting to overtake her face.

He rose his eyebrows. "Um, okay? Thanks?"

She smiled and got up (to his disappointment) and went back into the hallway. She was gone for about ten seconds, then came back with something hidden in a bag. "You didn't think that I forgot, did you?"

"No, of course I didn't," he said quickly, playing along. "What's in the bag? A present?"

"Duh," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "It's our One Year Anniversary since we met! Of course I got you something."

A knot the size of a killer whale twisted inside Chad's stomach. He smiled uneasily, feeling so upset with himself that he wanted to die. _How_ could he _forget_ a day like this? Sonny would be so upset and hurt... what was he going to do? He hadn't gotten her anything! She'd kill him, resuscitate him, then kill him again.

He took the bag with ashamed hands and opened it, taking out a red tube, a white tube, and a yellow tube. Of what, he didn't know.

"It's motorcycle paint!" she smiled proudly. "You can paint different designs and stuff on your motorcycle, but it's not permanent. It'll last a few weeks, and you can wash it off and do it over again. I also got some brushes and stuff." He looked up at her, thankful and unbelievably angry with himself. "It also comes with a book of designs and stuff. It shows you how to do them, too. It's got flames, skulls, crosses, chains, all kinds of tough biker stuff." She looked up at him hopefully. "Do you like it?"

He grinned half-heartedly, but only because of the sadness he felt for being so stupidly forgetful. "It's great. Exactly the kind of thing I'd want."

Sonny's smile was blindingly bright. "Oh, good! I was so scared you wouldn't like it. But I special-ordered it and everything, so I'm really glad that you did."

He kissed her again, desperately hoping that she would get carried away in the kiss and forget to ask him what he'd gotten for her. He just _couldn't believe _himself. He was such an idiot. Such a moron! They kissed for a while, both of them getting a little more into it than had been initially expected. Before she knew it, she was starting to lean back against the pillows and her boyfriend leaned with her, deepening the kiss. This was definitely a good means of distraction, he couldn't help but think.

He, himself, was becoming distracted and forgetting the present he was supposed to have. He smiled against her lips, running his hand through her hair before they settled cupping her neck. Sonny's breath hitched when he began kissing her jaw, then moved down to her neck. She laughed uneasily, "So, I'm g-guessing you like your p-present?"

"I do, but I like you more," he whispered in her ear, moving back down to her neck. She gasped sharply as she thought she felt his teeth against her skin. Yep, yep, that was teeth. After getting over the initial shock, she found that the feeling wasn't that bad. She actually sort of _liked it_. But she tried to scold herself, even though with her adrenaline pumping she didn't care so much.

"So, what did—" she tried to catch her breath "—you get me?"

Chad suddenly stopped kissing her neck, bringing his head back up to make eye contact with her. A hopeful smile was on her face, and it killed him. "Sonny..." he was breathing hard as well, "I, um... I—I didn't... uh..."

The smile was beginning to fade. "You didn't what?" Chad's eyes cast downward, guiltily. "Did you... did you not remember?"

He shut his eyes tightly, as if it would all go away, and shook his head. "No. No, Sonny, I—I didn't remember." She scowled. "I'm so sorry. We've been dating for so long... I'm not keeping up with days! I just wake up every morning and think about school and seeing you... and I don't mark the days on a calendar!"

"Oh," she nodded, sliding out from her position under him. "It's okay. I get it."

He knew her well enough to know that it _wasn't_ okay. "No, it's not okay. I feel like a moron. Which I am."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "No, you're not. You just forgot. Everyone forgets things."

"Yeah, but anniversaries are big. Especially a year." Sonny didn't say any words of disagreement. "You can hit me, punch me in my face. I totally wouldn't blame you." She didn't do anything, just stared at her hands. "I'll make it up to you. I promise. I'll do anything you want me to do."

She finally looked back up at him, a flicker of mischief in her eyes. "Anything?"

He nodded, regretting the words immediately and wanting to take them back. "Anything," he repeated, a little less bravely than at first.

* * *

She sat a bucket full of cleaning supplies down in front of him. He rose his eyebrows and looked back up at her, skeptical. She threw a pair of yellow gloves at him. She smiled in a sickeningly sweet way, crossing her arms.

"I know how you can make it up to me," she grinned. "You're going to clean this place for me. Rachel and I never really got a chance to scrub it down really well before we moved in. But now we can! Or, should I say, _you_ can."

"You've got to be kidding me," he scowled. "When I said 'anything', I was thinking more along the lines of taking you out to eat wherever you want whenever you want... or making out or something!" Sonny rolled her eyes at that. "I didn't think you'd make me _clean_! I'm a man! Men don't clean."

Sonny rolled her eyes yet again and groaned. So, he was _that_ type. Sexist. Thinking the men made the money and the women cleaned and cooked. Well, she'd work that out of him right now, wouldn't she?

"Men who forget their One Year Anniversary do," she smugly remarked. She handed him a broom, hands on hips. Chad sighed, and began to sweep standing where he was. Sonny tisked and shook her head. He gave her a sparing glance, almost a glare.

"_What_? Is there some special way to sweep or something?"

"It's not the sweeping," she shook her head still, "the sweeping looks great. But you know, people who clean houses have to wear uniforms." Chad's look that he gave her was unfathomable. She smirked all the while. "Take it off."

He rose his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Take your shirt off," she said again, simply. He stared at her scrutinizingly. Who was this? Had Sonny been abducted by an alien or something? She always insisted that they keep their clothes _on_. What the hell?

"Wait, wait, wait," he held his hands up, "_you_, Sonny Munroe, _want_ me to take my shirt _off_?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'll be feeling a lot better once you take your shirt off."

Chad had to admit, this wasn't half bad. He kind of liked this Alien Sonny. He did as he was told, taking off his leather jacket followed by his white t-shirt. "So, this isn't so much of a uniform, but a _lack_ of one, really."

"I guess you could say that," she shrugged, struggling to keep her gaze on his face and not on his chest. "Now, get to work. We want you to be done by the time Rachel is finished with her class and shopping."

"Why?" Chad smirked, flexing his arms. "You don't want any other ladies seeing all this?"

"Oh, whatever, Chad," Sonny rolled her eyes, stepping out of the room. "Get started!"

Chad looked down at all of the chemicals and the rags and mops. He didn't know what went where and what you were supposed to use to clean what. This wasn't going to go well. Just then, he spotted a list inside of the bucket.

Unfortunately, now he couldn't use the excuse that he didn't know what to do. Sonny had written every chore that he needed to do and every ingredient that he needed to do it with. He groaned. He would never _ever_ forget anything ever again.

* * *

"You missed a spot," Sonny grinned, laid back in her recliner two hours later, feet propped up, sipping on a lemonade. Chad, shirtless, held back a mean remark and swept the mop where she was pointing. Sonny shook her head. "Nope, to the left." Chad looked up and leaned against the mop, giving her a 'do-not-say-another-word-or-I-will-get-seriously-pissed' look. She snorted and he huffed, scrubbing all around himself to ensure that he didn't possibly miss a spot. Let's see her complain about something now!

"Good job, Chad! The floor looks great," she grinned. Suddenly, it faded as quickly as it had come. "Alright, now scrub the baseboards." Chad threw his head back and groaned.

"Are you serious? Sonny, I've been cleaning for _two hours_. I've cleaned your bathrooms, I cleaned your bedrooms, and I cleaned the kitchen! Now you're going to make me scrub all of the baseboards?"

"Now you know the pain I felt when you forgot our special day!" she feigned weeping, burying her head in her hands. Her face suddenly snapped up, totally unfazed. "And you did say you'd do _anything_."

"Again, I thought 'anything' would mean making out."

"You're such a pig, Chad. Get to it."

He grumbled as he got down on his knees, a rag and some cleaner that he'd never heard of before in his hand.

"Scrub harder, Chad. They're never going to get clean that way. You have to use elbow grease."

"If you could do a better job, you come down here and do it, then."

Sonny stayed silent, sipping her lemonade loudly as she watched him clean her house. To be truthful, he had been scrubbing hard enough earlier. She just wanted to see his muscles flex. Thirty minutes later, he slowly got up, stretching his back and arms, wincing. "Good God, I am gonna be sore tomorrow."

"See? Not just women can clean. Look at what a good job you did," Sonny nodded her head wisely. Chad just grumbled, throwing the rag and cleaner into the bucket and plopping down on the couch. He couldn't believe it, but he was actually _sweating_. Heavy duty cleaning actually _was_ kind of hard. Sonny finished her drink and rose from her chair, going to the kitchen and coming back with another drink. She sat it down in front of Chad on the coffee table.

"There ya go," she smiled. "Well-deserved."

"Well, yeah, I'd hope so!" he almost snapped, snatching up the drink and chugging it down within a matter of seconds. Sonny laughed as he sat it down, breathing heavily.

"Do you want another one?" she giggled.

"No, that's fine," he said bitterly, still not in the best of moods. He felt so degraded. Cleaning _wasn't_ manly, and Sonny wasn't going to make him say that it was. Plus, he was tired, and it was _not_ fun.

"Thank you," she smiled sweetly, kissing his cheek. Even though he was still a little ticked off at her (himself, mostly, for putting himself in this position), the smallest of a smile tugged at his lips. He struggled to keep it down. It was so faint that she almost didn't see it. Almost.

"Sure," he muttered.

"No, really. It looks awesome. Thank you, Chad," Sonny said in such a sweet voice that it should have sounded fake, but it just came off as cute instead.

"Yep." She kissed his lips this time, sweetly. When she pulled back, he grinned at her and stared into her eyes. Chocolate brown met stunning blue. "I don't like cleaning," he stated.

"Then I would suggest that you not forget any more anniversaries," she smirked.

"Hey, smirking is my thing, not yours," he smiled smugly, doing exactly what he'd said. "Although, I have to admit, I never thought it'd be your kind of thing. Ya know, since you're so painfully innocent and all."

She scowled. "What's your point?"

"Don't get me wrong, I like you when you're cute and all," he said, but then got a glint in his eye, "but it's kind of sexy."

"Is it, now?" she rose her eyebrows.

"It is," he smirked.

"Hmm," she tapped her chin teasingly. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

"Will you, now?"

"I will," she smirked.

He kissed her playfully, smiling. To his surprise, she didn't pull away after a while. If anything, she seemed to be egging him on. She kissed back, less innocent than before, not only wrapping her arms around his neck, but pulling him to her. That fact that he was shirtless didn't help either of them. Her hands ran up and down his chest, down to his abs, and up to his shoulders. Chad was careful where his were, holding back quite a bit, keeping his hands in one place, and she noticed.

"It's okay," she whispered in his ear, and he met her eyes to make sure. She smiled. Her lips met his again, and his hands wandered around her back. Sonny shifted positions and began kissing his neck, her hands resting on his chest. He took deep breaths, keeping himself under control. He had to keep himself in check, making sure that he didn't force her into anything that she wasn't ready for. That's why he let her make most of the moves. His heart jolted when she moved to his lap, practically straddling him.

"Sonny," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she asked against his neck.

"I don't know... if we should be doing this," he managed to choke out. The hormonal college guy inside of him said, 'Who the hell cares? She's all over you!'. But the good gentleman inside of him said, 'She might be getting carried away. You don't want to make a mistake. This is a huge step for her.'

She stopped what she was doing and leaned back so she could see his face, a little offended-looking. "What?"

"I just mean... ya know..." he looked at their position pointedly, and for the first time, she seemed to realize what they were doing.

"_Oh_..." she breathed, hopping off of him quickly and sitting awkwardly where she was. "I'm—I'm so sorry, Chad. I don't mean to get you excited like that... I just sometimes get carried away and—and I don't realize I'm doing it." She hung her head. "I know this must suck for you."

He rose his brows. "What do you mean?"

She blushed furiously. "You know! You used to... ya know... all of the time, and ever since you started seeing me, you haven't. It's been a year, Chad, and I'm still holding out on you. You've had to go a year without... ugh! I'm so sorry."

He laughed, even though what she was saying wasn't completely incorrect or irrelevant. "You have nothing to apologize for, Sonny. When you're ready, you're ready, and that's it. When you're not, you're not, and I'm not gonna make you."

"But—but you must be so frustrated sometimes! This isn't the first time that's happened..."

Chad flashed back to when Sonny first told him that she loved him, and then he remembered all of those times in her bedroom when he'd wanted a simple kiss and she'd get fidgety. Then there was that one time when her mom wasn't home the night of graduation...

That almost went badly. Or well, depending on what point of view you looked at it from.

"Um... well yeah, sometimes I have to keep a check on myself, but it's worth it," he told her honestly, saying it aloud to convince both her, and to reassure himself. As he looked at her troubled face, his heart thumped in reassurance. It was definitely worth the wait.

"Chad... I just feel so bad... and it's our One Year Anniversary. I'm sure you were under the impression that we might be... maybe..."

"Hey," he raised his hands defensively, "I wasn't. I didn't even remember it, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," she recalled, the situation at hand the only thing keeping the scowl off of her face. "Still—"

_Knock knock knock_.

A sound at the door interrupted her. Her brows furrowed.

"Wonder who that is," Chad said thoughtfully. Rachel never knocked when she came in, since it was her place, too, and all... but maybe she knocked because she was afraid she'd walk in on something?

"Let's find out," Sonny replied just as curiously, opening the door in a friendly way. Chad watched from the couch, quickly pulling his shirt back on. He almost had a heart attack when Sonny suddenly shrieked, slamming the door closed and bolting it shut behind her.

"Sonny! What's wrong?" he demanded, at her side within two seconds. He motioned to look through the peep hole lens in the door, but Sonny stopped him.

"No! Don't!"

"Why not?"

"I—I don't know what we should do, Chad..."

"Sonny, who is it? Why are you freaking out?"

She seemed to have a debate with herself, her eyes shut tight with hands running through her hair. "I just... I don't... you might get hurt..." Finally, she opened her eyes and stared directly into Chad's. She whispered, "It's Lawson."

Chad's blood ran cold. It felt like fifty million sharp ice cubes had been dumped into his bloodstream and were scraping at his vein walls, making him bleed even more sharp ice.

"Get behind me," he breathed, almost so quietly that she couldn't hear him. "Now."

Why would Lawson be there, at Sonny's doorstep? He had to have known that Chad was there, too... his bike was clearly parked out in the front. Did he want to pick another fight with Chad? Did he want to screw Sonny? Did he want to jump in and shoot both of them with a gun? What could he possibly want? And how could he possibly know where Sonny lived now?

They hadn't seen the man in almost a year. They'd almost forgotten about him completely. Why did he have to come back and completely ruin everything they'd built and accomplished since he'd left?

A million thoughts ran through both of their frantic minds as Chad's cold and clammy hand closed around the doorknob. In what felt like slow motion, he pulled open the door, Sonny tucked protectively behind him.

Surely enough, there stood Lawson, the man they'd grown to think of as less of a man and more of a creature. He stood there in a pair of clean, un-ripped jeans and a red collared shirt. He was clean shaven, beard totally gone, and his face was void of any dirt. And what surprised them most? There was no whiff of alcohol or any other kind of undesirable substance on his person.

His eyes lacked a certain luster they used to have.

"Well, uh, hi," he grinned, unsure, hands stuffed in pockets. Chad glared at him with all of the strength he possessed, also trying to keep himself from launching onto the man and giving that red shirt tons more red all over it. Both Sonny and Chad just stared, silent, mouths nearly agape. "I'm sure that this is kind of unexpected... and the last thing you probably want to do is see me."

"You've got that right," Chad hissed, struggling to keep himself from yelling in the man's face, even though Lawson deserved it.

"W-what do you want?" Sonny managed to squeak from behind Chad, forcing Lawson's eyes to cast to her.

Lawson smiled at her, but this action shocked both of them. His teeth were... _whiter_. Still not white, considering all of that drug and drinking abuse would take decades to get off... but they actually looked somewhat _clean_. And most of all, the smile wasn't perverted or suggestive. It was just a smile. A normal, regular old smile. Almost guilty in some way.

"Hi, Sonny," he muttered, scratching the back of his head, which she just now realized had a nice, clean haircut. "I know that there really isn't any way that I can apologize for what I did... and what I tried to do... but—"

"Whoa, _wait_. Did you say... _apologize_? As in—in _apologize_?" Chad stammered.

"Yeah," Lawson answered feebly, looking down down at his feet. "I don't know what to do besides say that I'm sorry. I was a gross, horrible, perverted-minded man who was hanging out with people younger than me to try and stay young. I was in denial, drinking and abusing drugs... to try forget that my high school glory days were over and that I was about to try and face real life... which I wasn't prepared for—at all. So I hung out with people younger than me who made me feel feared and important. Well... at least that's what my therapist says, anyway."

Sonny and Chad almost fainted right then and there. "_Therapist_?"

He smiled and nodded solemnly. "Yep, therapist. I got help. And I feel much better. Can you not tell?" He spread out his arms and did a three-sixty, motioning to his hair and clothes. "Better, huh? And I don't smell like a walking whore house anymore."

"Is... is this some kind of bullshit joke?" Chad demanded, eyes narrowing, not believing his ears. He'd known Lawson for years now. Getting help is what he thought was girly, stupid, weak. It's the last thing he would ever do. What in the world would make him go see a 'therapist'? Most importantly, how in the world did he get off all of the crap he was doing? Chad voiced this aloud.

"I'm totally serious, dude," he nodded. Chad growled at the term of endearment. Lawson's hands quickly went up defensively. "Sorry. Tell me, why would I come all the way out here, cleaned up, being _nice_, if I just wanted to pick a fight? If that's what the Old Lawson wanted, I'd just come out here and do it. You know he'd just get to the point."

"_He_?" Chad clarified disbelievingly. "You mean _you_. You _are_ Lawson."

"Not the Old Lawson," he corrected him with a chuckle. "I'm a new me. The Old Lawson wouldn't even lie, because he thought even _lying_ about being changed was being a sissy. Am I right?" Chad stayed silent. Sonny just gaped, starting to see what he was getting at. "If a fight was what I wanted, I'd be fighting. If _she—_" he looked over Chad's shoulder to Sonny "—was what I wanted, I'd tell you. And I'm not. I came to say that I'm sorry, and all of that's a part of my past now. Hopefully forever."

Chad just couldn't believe this. It was like an alternate universe! What was going on? What in the world would make him change? _Why_ did he? He'd seemed perfectly content with his supposed 'former lifestyle'.

"What—why—_how_?" Sonny managed to stutter, standing her ground behind her strong boyfriend.

"You wanna know the truth?" he asked. "This might sound kind of stupid... and even less believable than everything I've told you so far, but... it was you guys."

"_Us_?"

"Yeah. Well, that, and a flying fist hitting my head. That's what it took to make me realize that what I was doing was so... _wrong_. And unnecessary. And just plain _stupid_. Of course, I didn't realize all of that right off the bat. It took a few visits to the therapist to drill the truth into my head. Rage kind of forced me to go... but what surprised me was that I wasn't as opposed to the idea as I thought I should have been. And in the end, I guess that's what made me end up going."

"I just... I can't believe this. You can't be telling the truth," Chad scrutinized him with untrusting eyes.

"Can I not be?" Lawson smirked, but it wasn't demeaning. It was like he was hiding something... but a _good_ surprise. He held up his left hand, and Chad nearly passed out and fell back onto Sonny. He had to hold the door frame for support.

"_What_ the _hell_ is _that_?" he gasped for breath, staring at his hand with cloudy eyes. He had to be seeing things. He just _had_ to be!

"That's right. I'm hitched," he grinned, wiggling the ring finger. A shining, new gold band lied there, boasting in the afternoon sun.

"No."

"Yes."

"To _who_?" Sonny couldn't help but blurt out.

Lawson laughed and smiled at her good-naturedly. "To a woman I met in therapy. She was going through the same thing I was... trying to cast out inner demons that seemed to control her whole life—her whole _self_. We started talking, sharing experiences, going out to coffee..." he shrugged nonchalantly, "and it just developed from there."

"_Married_?" Chad choked, his voice a wheeze. "M-Married. As in, you have a WIFE? And you're _not_ cheating on her?"

That was the first flash of anger they'd seen in his eyes since he'd arrived. "Hell no! I'd never cheat on Stephanie! I love her!"

Now, Chad _did_ stumble a bit at that. Sonny quickly caught him, but not too coherent herself. She was almost in as much shock as he was.

"_L-love_?" Chad repeated, pale white. This was all too much to take in at once. First, the man who tried to ruin his life, rape is girlfriend, and kill him, was telling him that he was sorry; then he tells tells them that he's changed, and gone to freakin' _therapy_; and then informs them that in the past year, he's met a girl that he has dated for longer than two days and _married_? It was just too good to be true.

But the small, rational part of Chad's brain had to believe it. The thunk on his head _had_ resulted in a slight personality change... maybe it had been the little push that he had needed. And if he wanted to chase them down, he would have done it a long time ago. Not to mention, he knew Lawson. And if he wanted to finish them off, he would have the second that door was opened.

_Holy shit_.

He was telling the truth!

It suddenly dawned on both of them that this wasn't a reuse... he was being totally honest, yet another new trait.

"Um..." Sonny was finally able to say after what felt like hours of awed silence, "c-congratulations?"

"Thank you very much, Sonny," he nodded. "I appreciate that." He turned to look at both of them. "I know that a simple 'I'm sorry' won't fix anything or undo what I did... but I'm hoping that it's a start."

Lawson stuck his hand out for Chad to shake. Both Sonny and Lawson waited for Chad to reply. The blonde was just staring at him, mouth rudely wide open. He blinked his blue eyes once or twice, in a daze.

Slowly... centimeter-by-second... Chad reached out his hand. He wasn't doing this because he wanted to... he wanted to make that clear right this second. He was doing this for Sonny. She'd be proud of him for being the bigger man. He couldn't have _Lawson_ standing there, trying to be a 'man' and put all of the crap behind them, and he stand there and look immature and refuse him.

They shook hands.

They were surprised to see that Lawson still had a motorcycle when he left. They halfway expected him to have traded it in for a minivan.

* * *

That night, Sonny and Chad were cuddled on the couch, his arm around her waist and her head resting on his lap, watching a movie. All of the lights were turned off, the blue light of the TV the only thing shining. Rachel had gotten back a few hours ago, put the groceries away, and immediately went to bed, apparently too tired to even bother teasing them about their nonexistent sex life.

Catching them so off-guard that they both jumped, the phone began to ring. Sonny hopped up, paused the movie, and answered the phone confusedly. It was ten at night. Who would be calling them at this hour?

"Hello?" answered Sonny, brows furrowed.

"Hello? Is this Sonny Munroe?" asked a woman's voice that she didn't recognize.

"Um... yes, it is. May I ask who's calling?"

Chad watched her, curious, confused as well.

"Oh... um, yes. I—I am, uh... oh god. I can't believe I'm doing this..."

"Ma'am?" Sonny asked politely, but unable to keep the confusion and slight creeped-out-ness out of her tone.

"Oh, please don't hang up! I've been trying to work up the nerve to call for the longest time."

"Um... I think you may have the wrong number," Sonny chuckled uneasily, finger itching to punch the red hang-up button.

"No! No! I know I don't!" she exclaimed quickly. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I called Mr. Cooper and he said that Chad wasn't home. He gave me the number of—of one of Chad's friends that he was staying with... and that boy gave me your number..."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but who are you?"

"Is—is Chad there?" she asked nervously. "I—I need to talk to him. It's... _so_ long overdue."

"Miss, I'm sorry, but can you please tell me who's wanting to talk to—?"

"_Please_, Sonny, just let me talk to him," she whispered desperately. The woman sounded too old to be a past girlfriend or anything, so in an unsure way (and a little creeped-out), Sonny handed over the phone to her boyfriend. "It's for you," her brows knitted, puzzled.

Chad mouthed, 'Who is it?' Sonny shrugged exaggeratedly. Forehead wrinkled in curiousity and unsureness, Chad slowly said, "Hello?"

Sonny couldn't decipher what the woman was saying, but all she could tell was that the woman was talking speedily, nonstop, almost hysterically. At first, the expression on Chad's face was much like Sonny's had been, but the more time went by, the more the confusion faded away and his face went stoney. He stared into oblivion unseeingly, his eyes shining and mouth slightly agape.

"Chad? Chad, what's wrong?" Sonny demanded. What could it be? Did Lawson attack someone? Was something wrong with Rage or Rod? Had Chad's bike been stolen? Was something wrong with Chad's father? What could it be?

His mouth opened and closed, as if he couldn't find words. He looked as if he was about to pass out from stress, right then and there on the couch, as he muttered two fateful words with a small smile.

"Hi, Mom."

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N: IT'S OVER! OMG! *sob* What did you think of the epilogue? What did you think of the story altogether? Will you read my next story?**

**And by the way, while I remember (forgive me for this), I'm gonna do some self-advertizing. I now have a youtube channel, and I have posted two music covers so far. One of "Skyscraper", and one of Diddy and Skylar Grey's "Coming Home". If you guys would check it out, it would mean so much to me :)**

**My username is MegaFreak4music. Just look up my channel :) I hope you all like it! The link is on my profile page, if you're too lazy to go look it up (I know I am) :P**

**Once again, Alexa and I appreciate all of the support. We love you guys, and thanks for reading! For the last time I will ever ask on this story...**

**Review :)**

**~Alli**


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